Polymers have for long been an integral part of our everyday lives so much so that examples are available almost ubiquitously. We generally an effect leading us to believe that polymers are only plastics used for packaging, in household objects and then for making fibres, however this is simply the tip from the iceberg.
Polymers are used in all sorts of applications you might not have thought much about. This website enlightens you in regards to the story behind polymers and just how it’s got evolved from the time to offer several functions across numerous industries.
Origin of polymer science
Humans have benefit of the versatility of polymers since way back when available as oils, tars, resins and gums. However, it was not before the industrial revolution the polymer industry started to realize. In reality, the birth of polymer science could be traced returning to the mid-nineteenth century. From 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 common chemicals, phenol and formaldehyde. The reaction between those two chemicals led the way to build up a resin, called Bakelite, named after him. It turned out this resin that served like a harbinger to many people from the common polymers that we use today. The phrase “polymer” comes from the Greek roots “poly” and “mer,” which build means “many parts.” Polymeric substances consist of numerous chemical units called monomers, that are joined together into large molecular chains consisting of 1000s of atoms.
Classification of polymers
On the basis of their origin, sumitomo chemical asia could be classified as synthetic or natural polymers. Natural polymers are the ones polymers that occur in nature knowning that that are isolated from plant and animal resources. Starch, cellulose, proteins, natural rubber etc. are a couple of examples of natural polymers. Though they’re processed to find the end result, since the basic material comes from a natural source, these polymers are termed as natural polymers. Natural rubber originating from tree latex is essentially a polymer made from isoprene units using a tiny proportion of impurities in it.
Within this context, biopolymers may also be significant. There’s large number of biopolymers for example polysaccharides, polyesters, and polyamides. They may be naturally made by microorganisms. The genetic manipulation of microorganisms makes way for enormous potential for the biotechnological output of biopolymers with tailored properties suitable for high-value medical application for example tissue engineering and drug delivery.
Synthetic polymers, as his or her name indicates, are synthesized in the laboratory or factory through a compilation of chemical reactions from low molecular weight compounds. From the functional standpoint they may be classified into four main categories: thermoplastics, thermosets, elastomers and artificial fibres. Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) is one such thermoplastic made by the polymerization from the monomer, methyl methacrylate (MMA). PMMA is often called acrylic plastic and lends its properties into a variety of consumer product applications. Being both a thermoplastic and transparent plastic, acrylic is used extensively in the automotive industry in trunk release handles, master cylinder, and dashboard lighting. Consumer products which possess a constituent component 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 we utilization in us include Nylons, used in fabrics and textiles, Teflon, used in non-stick pans and Polyvinyl Chloride, used in pipes.
Like a leading manufacturer of SUMIPEX® PMMA polymer, Sumitomo Chemical is glad to work with you understand its properties like a synthetic polymer. To know more, find us here.
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