what are the main characteristics of polymeric materials?

wide range of colours; good thermal insulation; good electrical insulation; good corrosion resistance against water and oxygen; low specific gravity; easy to process; wide range of mechanical properties-can be rigid or flexible; wide range of clarity(transparent,translucent,opaque); give off objectional odours; unstable at high temperature; dimensionally unstable at any temperature; low strength(compared to metal); subject to deterioration,especially in sunlight