A plumber heats a plastic pipe, softens it, shapes it, and then lets it cool. After it is hardened, the
plumber realizes that the pipe needs to be bent to a greater angle. After reheating the pipe, the
plumber discovers that the pipe will no longer soften. The pipe material is most likely _____
A thermoset material is a polymer that is irreversibly hardened by curing. Curing is induced by heat and cannot be undone because the polymers cross link during the process, creating permanent chemical bonds.