Polymers have for lengthy been a fundamental element of our everyday lives a case in point that examples can be found almost ubiquitously. We have an impact top us to believe that polymers are simply just plastics useful for packaging, in household objects and then for making fibres, however is the tip with the iceberg.
Polymers are used in many applications you might not have thought much about. This blog enlightens you about the story behind polymers and exactly how it’s evolved since that time to serve several functions across quite a few industries.
Origin of polymer science
Humans took advantage of the versatility of polymers for years and years as oils, tars, resins and gums. However, it had not been before the industrial revolution that the polymer industry started to realize. The truth is, the birth of polymer science could be traced back to the mid-nineteenth century. Within the 1830s, Charles Goodyear developed the vulcanization process that transformed the sticky latex of natural rubber right into a useful elastomer for tire use. In 1909, Leo Hendrik Baekeland created resin from two common chemicals, phenol and formaldehyde. The reaction between both of these chemicals paved the way for the development of a resin, called Bakelite, named after him. It turned out this resin that served as a harbinger to numerous with the common polymers that we use today. The saying “polymer” comes from the Greek roots “poly” and “mer,” which put together means “many parts.” Polymeric substances are comprised of numerous chemical units called monomers, which can be joined together into large molecular chains made up of a large number of atoms.
Classification of polymers
On the basis of their origin, polymer resin could be classified as synthetic or natural polymers. Natural polymers are those polymers that appear in nature which which can be isolated from plant and animal resources. Starch, cellulose, proteins, natural rubber etc. are some samples of natural polymers. Though these are processed to get the product, since basic material comes from a natural source, these polymers are referred to as natural polymers. Natural rubber coming from tree latex is actually a polymer created from isoprene units which has a small percentage of impurities inside.
Within this context, biopolymers may also be significant. There is certainly huge variety of biopolymers such as polysaccharides, polyesters, and polyamides. These are naturally made by microorganisms. The genetic manipulation of microorganisms makes method for enormous potential for the biotechnological manufacture of biopolymers with tailored properties suitable for high-value medical application such as tissue engineering and drug delivery.
Synthetic polymers, his or her name indicates, are synthesized from the laboratory or factory by having a series of chemical reactions from low molecular weight compounds. From the functional viewpoint they can be classified into four main categories: thermoplastics, thermosets, elastomers and synthetic fibres. Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) is but one such thermoplastic made by the polymerization with the monomer, methyl methacrylate (MMA). PMMA is often known as acrylic plastic and lends its properties to a selection of consumer product applications. Being both a thermoplastic and transparent plastic, acrylic is utilized extensively from the automotive industry in trunk release handles, master cylinder, and dashboard lighting. Consumer items that have a constituent portion of acrylic plastic include aquariums, motorcycle helmet lenses, paint, furniture, picture framing, and umbrella clamps, amongst others.
Many of the other synthetic polymers that we use in our everyday life include Nylons, found in fabrics and textiles, Teflon, found in non-stick pans and Polyvinyl Chloride, found in pipes.
Like a leading manufacturer of SUMIPEX® PMMA polymer, Sumitomo Chemical is pleased to work with you to understand its properties as a synthetic polymer. To learn more, find us here.
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