Polymers have for long been a fundamental element of our everyday lives so much so that examples are available almost ubiquitously. We have the feeling that leads us to believe that polymers are simply just plastics utilized for packaging, in household objects as well as making fibres, however is simply the tip from the iceberg.
Polymers are used in all sorts of applications you do not have thought much about. This website enlightens you regarding the story behind polymers and the way they have evolved ever since for everyone several functions across numerous industries.
Origin of polymer science
Humans have taken good thing about the versatility of polymers for hundreds of years by means of oils, tars, resins and gums. However, it wasn’t until the industrial revolution the polymer industry began to develop. In fact, the birth of polymer science might be traced back to the mid-nineteenth century. In the 1830s, Charles Goodyear developed the vulcanization process that transformed the sticky latex of natural rubber in to a useful elastomer for tire use. In 1909, Leo Hendrik Baekeland designed a resin from two very common chemicals, phenol and formaldehyde. The response between these two chemicals paved the way for the development of a resin, called Bakelite, named after him. It absolutely was this resin that served being a harbinger to many from the common polymers we use today. The saying “polymer” hails from the Greek roots “poly” and “mer,” which build means “many parts.” Polymeric substances are composed of many chemical units called monomers, that are joined together into large molecular chains comprising 1000s of atoms.
Classification of polymers
Based on their origin, polymer resin may be classified as natural or synthetic polymers. Natural polymers are the types polymers that exist in nature understanding that that are isolated from plant and animal resources. Starch, cellulose, proteins, natural rubber etc. are a few examples of natural polymers. Though these are processed to get the product, since the basic material comes from a natural source, these polymers are known as natural polymers. Natural rubber coming from tree latex is essentially a polymer made from isoprene units using a portion of impurities in it.
In this context, biopolymers will also be significant. There’s large number of biopolymers such as polysaccharides, polyesters, and polyamides. They’re naturally produced by microorganisms. The genetic manipulation of microorganisms makes opportinity for enormous potential for the biotechnological manufacture of biopolymers with tailored properties suited to high-value medical application such as tissue engineering and drug delivery.
Synthetic polymers, as his or her name indicates, are synthesized from the laboratory or factory by way of a number of chemical reactions from low molecular weight compounds. In the functional viewpoint they may be classified into four main categories: thermoplastics, thermosets, elastomers and artificial fibres. Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) is one such thermoplastic produced by the polymerization from the monomer, methyl methacrylate (MMA). PMMA is often generally known as acrylic plastic and lends its properties into a various consumer product applications. Being both a thermoplastic and transparent plastic, acrylic is used extensively from the automotive industry in trunk release handles, master cylinder, and dashboard lighting. Consumer products which use a constituent component of acrylic plastic include aquariums, motorcycle helmet lenses, paint, furniture, picture framing, and umbrella clamps, among others.
Some of the other synthetic polymers we use within our everyday life include Nylons, employed in fabrics and textiles, Teflon, employed in non-stick pans and Polyvinyl Chloride, employed in pipes.
Being a leading manufacturer of SUMIPEX® PMMA polymer, Sumitomo Chemical is glad to assist you understand its properties being a synthetic polymer. To learn more, find us here.
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