Polymers have for too long been a fundamental element of our everyday lives a case in point that examples can be found almost ubiquitously. We generally an impression top us to think that polymers are only plastics useful for packaging, in household objects as well as making fibres, however, this is the tip in the iceberg.
Polymers are employed in many applications you will possibly not have thought much about. This web site enlightens you concerning the story behind polymers and just how it’s got evolved since that time to offer several functions across quite a few industries.
Origin of polymer science
Humans have got good thing about the versatility of polymers for years and years in the form of oils, tars, resins and gums. However, it was not before the industrial revolution how the polymer industry started to realize. Actually, the birth of polymer science could be traced returning to the mid-nineteenth century. In the 1830s, Charles Goodyear developed the vulcanization method that transformed the sticky latex of natural rubber in a useful elastomer for tire use. In 1909, Leo Hendrik Baekeland created a resin from two quite normal chemicals, phenol and formaldehyde. The response between those two chemicals paved the way to build up a resin, called Bakelite, named after him. It had been this resin that served being a harbinger to many in the common polymers that we use today. The phrase “polymer” hails from the Greek roots “poly” and “mer,” which assembled means “many parts.” Polymeric substances are made of many chemical units called monomers, which are joined together into large molecular chains consisting of a large number of atoms.
Classification of polymers
Based on their origin, Acrylic Plastic may be regarded as synthetic or natural polymers. Natural polymers are the type polymers that occur in nature and that which are isolated from plant and animal resources. Starch, cellulose, proteins, natural rubber etc. are some samples of natural polymers. Though these are processed to find the end result, because the basic material develops from a natural source, these polymers are known as natural polymers. Natural rubber via tree latex is essentially a polymer created from isoprene units which has a small percentage of impurities in it.
In this context, biopolymers may also be significant. There’s huge variety of biopolymers like polysaccharides, polyesters, and polyamides. These are naturally created by microorganisms. The genetic manipulation of microorganisms makes method for enormous potential for the biotechnological output of biopolymers with tailored properties well suited for high-value medical application like tissue engineering and drug delivery.
Synthetic polymers, as his or her name indicates, are synthesized inside the laboratory or factory by way of a number of chemical reactions from low molecular weight compounds. From the functional point of view they could be classified into four main categories: thermoplastics, thermosets, elastomers and artificial fibres. Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) is a such thermoplastic created by the polymerization in the monomer, methyl methacrylate (MMA). PMMA is commonly referred to as acrylic plastic and lends its properties to some various consumer product applications. Being both a thermoplastic and transparent plastic, acrylic can be used extensively inside the automotive industry in trunk release handles, master cylinder, and dashboard lighting. Consumer products that have a very constituent part of acrylic plastic include aquariums, motorcycle helmet lenses, paint, furniture, picture framing, and umbrella clamps, amongst others.
A few of the other synthetic polymers that we use within our everyday life include Nylons, used in fabrics and textiles, Teflon, used in non-stick pans and Polyvinyl Chloride, used in pipes.
Like a leading manufacturer of SUMIPEX® PMMA polymer, Sumitomo Chemical is pleased to help you out to understand its properties being a synthetic polymer. To understand more, contact us here.
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