Polymers have for very long been an integral part of our everyday lives because of this that examples can be found almost ubiquitously. We generally have an effect that leads us to trust that polymers are simply plastics useful for packaging, in household objects as well as making fibres, however, this is only the tip in the iceberg.
Polymers are utilized in many applications you do not have thought much about. This blog enlightens you about the story behind polymers and just how they have evolved from the time for everyone several functions across numerous industries.
Origin of polymer science
Humans took advantage of the flexibility of polymers for centuries by means of oils, tars, resins and gums. However, it had not been prior to the industrial revolution the polymer industry developed. Actually, the birth of polymer science might be traced returning to the mid-nineteenth century. From the 1830s, Charles Goodyear developed the vulcanization process that transformed the sticky latex of natural rubber 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 had been this resin that served as a harbinger to numerous in the common polymers that individuals use today. The phrase “polymer” hails from the Greek roots “poly” and “mer,” which build means “many parts.” Polymeric substances consist of several chemical units called monomers, which can be gathered into large molecular chains consisting of a large number of atoms.
Classification of polymers
Judging by their origin, pmma plastic could be viewed as synthetic or natural polymers. Natural polymers are the types polymers that exist in nature and that which can be isolated from plant and animal resources. Starch, cellulose, proteins, natural rubber etc. are some types of natural polymers. Though they may be processed to have the result, since the basic material comes from a natural source, these polymers are termed as natural polymers. Natural rubber originating from tree latex is basically a polymer made from isoprene units using a tiny proportion of impurities in it.
In this context, biopolymers will also be significant. There is certainly large number of biopolymers such as polysaccharides, polyesters, and polyamides. These are naturally manufactured by microorganisms. The genetic manipulation of microorganisms makes means for enormous risk of the biotechnological manufacture of biopolymers with tailored properties suited to high-value medical application such as tissue engineering and drug delivery.
Synthetic polymers, as their name indicates, are synthesized within the laboratory or factory by having a compilation of chemical reactions from low molecular weight compounds. Through the functional perspective they could be classified into four main categories: thermoplastics, thermosets, elastomers and artificial fibres. Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) is a such thermoplastic manufactured by the polymerization in the monomer, methyl methacrylate (MMA). PMMA is often referred to as acrylic plastic and lends its properties into a various consumer product applications. Being both a thermoplastic and transparent plastic, acrylic is used extensively within the automotive industry in trunk release handles, master cylinder, and dashboard lighting. Consumer goods that possess a constituent part of acrylic plastic include aquariums, motorcycle helmet lenses, paint, furniture, picture framing, and umbrella clamps, among others.
A few of the other synthetic polymers that individuals use in us 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 help you out understand its properties as a synthetic polymer. To find out more, contact us here.
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