Polymers have for too long been a fundamental element of our everyday lives so much so that examples are available almost ubiquitously. We have the feeling top us to believe that polymers are merely plastics useful for packaging, in household objects and for making fibres, however is simply the tip with the iceberg.
Polymers are widely-used in all sorts of applications you will possibly not have thought much about. This website enlightens you concerning the story behind polymers and just how they have evolved from the time to serve several functions across a number of industries.
Origin of polymer science
Humans have got benefit from the flexibility of polymers for hundreds of years by means of oils, tars, resins and gums. However, it wasn’t until the industrial revolution that this polymer industry developed. The truth is, the birth of polymer science might be traced to the mid-nineteenth century. Within the 1830s, Charles Goodyear developed the vulcanization method that transformed the sticky latex of natural rubber into a useful elastomer for tire use. In 1909, Leo Hendrik Baekeland created resin from two quite typical 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 was this resin that served as a harbinger to many people with the common polymers we use today. The term “polymer” comes from the Greek roots “poly” and “mer,” which put together means “many parts.” Polymeric substances are composed of countless chemical units called monomers, which can be gathered into large molecular chains consisting of a huge number of atoms.
Classification of polymers
Judging by their origin, pmma plastic may be regarded as natural or synthetic polymers. Natural polymers are the types polymers that happen in nature and that which can be isolated from plant and animal resources. Starch, cellulose, proteins, natural rubber etc. are some instances of natural polymers. Though they may be processed to get the end result, because the basic material develops from a natural source, these polymers are called as natural polymers. Natural rubber coming from tree latex is basically a polymer made from isoprene units with a portion of impurities inside.
On this context, biopolymers may also be significant. There is huge variety of biopolymers such as polysaccharides, polyesters, and polyamides. These are naturally created by microorganisms. The genetic manipulation of microorganisms makes way for enormous possibility of the biotechnological manufacture of biopolymers with tailored properties ideal for high-value medical application such as tissue engineering and drug delivery.
Synthetic polymers, for their name indicates, are synthesized within the laboratory or factory by way of a compilation of chemical reactions from low molecular weight compounds. Through the functional point of view they can be classified into four main categories: thermoplastics, thermosets, elastomers and synthetic fibres. Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) is one such thermoplastic created by the polymerization with the monomer, methyl methacrylate (MMA). PMMA is often known as acrylic plastic and lends its properties to some variety of consumer product applications. Being both a thermoplastic and transparent plastic, acrylic is employed extensively within the automotive industry in trunk release handles, master cylinder, and dashboard lighting. Consumer goods that use a constituent element of acrylic plastic include aquariums, motorcycle helmet lenses, paint, furniture, picture framing, and umbrella clamps, amongst others.
A number of the other synthetic polymers we utilization in us include Nylons, found in fabrics and textiles, Teflon, found in non-stick pans and Polyvinyl Chloride, found in pipes.
As being a leading manufacturer of SUMIPEX® PMMA polymer, Sumitomo Chemical is satisfied to assist you understand its properties as a synthetic polymer. To find out more, contact us here.
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