Muovattuvia

Muovattuvia is a Finnish adjective used to describe materials or substances that can be shaped or molded into different forms. The term derives from muovata, meaning to mold or shape, and is formed with the suffixes that create muovattuva (capable of being molded) and muovattuvia (plural form). In everyday language it can refer to plastics, clays, dough, and other substances that lend themselves to shaping without breaking.

In materials science, muovattuvuus (moldability or plasticity) denotes the ability of a material to undergo permanent deformation under applied stress. This property arises from the material’s internal structure allowing rearrangement, such as increased polymer chain mobility near the glass transition or melting temperature in polymers, or dislocation movement in metals. Materials with high muovattuvuus can be formed through processes like molding, extrusion, thermoforming, or forging, whereas materials with low muovattuvuus tend to fracture or resist permanent change.

Common moldable materials include thermoplastics (for example polyethylene and polystyrene), modeling clays, and metals at elevated temperatures. The practical use of muovattuvuus is central to manufacturing, shaping, and fabrication industries, enabling parts to be produced through molding, forming, or casting.

See also: plasticity, malleability, ductility, thermoplastics, polymer science.