Polymers have for too long been an integral part of our everyday lives because of this that examples are available almost ubiquitously. We generally the feeling leading us to believe that polymers are merely plastics useful for packaging, in household objects and for making fibres, however is the tip of the iceberg.


Polymers are widely-used in all sorts of applications you do not have thought much about. This site enlightens you about the story behind polymers and just how it’s got evolved ever since for everyone several functions across a number of industries.
Origin of polymer science
Humans have taken benefit from the flexibility of polymers since way back when as oils, tars, resins and gums. However, it was not until the industrial revolution that this polymer industry began to develop. Actually, the birth of polymer science may be traced time for the mid-nineteenth century. Inside the 1830s, Charles Goodyear developed the vulcanization method that transformed the sticky latex of natural rubber in to a useful elastomer for tire use. In 1909, Leo Hendrik Baekeland created a resin from two very common chemicals, phenol and formaldehyde. The response between these chemicals paved the way to build up a resin, called Bakelite, named after him. It absolutely was this resin that served as a harbinger to a lot of of the common polymers we use today. The term “polymer” hails from the Greek roots “poly” and “mer,” which put together means “many parts.” Polymeric substances are made of countless chemical units called monomers, which are joined together into large molecular chains consisting of thousands of atoms.
Classification of polymers
Judging by their origin, Acrylic Plastic can be viewed as synthetic or natural polymers. Natural polymers are the types polymers that happen in nature understanding that which are isolated from plant and animal resources. Starch, cellulose, proteins, natural rubber etc. are some types of natural polymers. Though these are processed to find the end product, because the basic material develops from a natural source, these polymers are referred to as natural polymers. Natural rubber via tree latex is essentially a polymer made from isoprene units using a portion of impurities within it.
Within this context, biopolymers are also significant. There is vast number of biopolymers like polysaccharides, polyesters, and polyamides. These are naturally made by microorganisms. The genetic manipulation of microorganisms makes method for enormous potential for the biotechnological creation of biopolymers with tailored properties suited to high-value medical application like tissue engineering and drug delivery.
Synthetic polymers, for their name indicates, are synthesized from the laboratory or factory by having a compilation of chemical reactions from low molecular weight compounds. In the functional perspective they may be classified into four main categories: thermoplastics, thermosets, elastomers and artificial fibres. Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) is certainly one such thermoplastic made by the polymerization of the monomer, methyl methacrylate (MMA). PMMA is often known as acrylic plastic and lends its properties into a various 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 goods that have a constituent part of acrylic plastic include aquariums, motorcycle helmet lenses, paint, furniture, picture framing, and umbrella clamps, amongst others.
Some of the other synthetic polymers we utilization in our everyday life include Nylons, used in fabrics and textiles, Teflon, used in non-stick pans and Polyvinyl Chloride, used in pipes.
As a leading manufacturer of SUMIPEX® PMMA polymer, Sumitomo Chemical is satisfied to assist you to understand its properties as a synthetic polymer. To understand more, find us here.
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