Polymers have for too long been a fundamental element of our everyday lives a case in point that examples can be found almost ubiquitously. We are apt to have the feeling that leads us to think that polymers are simply plastics utilized for packaging, in household objects and for making fibres, but this is only the tip with the iceberg.
Polymers are employed in all sorts of applications you may not have thought much about. This blog enlightens you concerning the story behind polymers and just how it has evolved since to serve several functions across a number of industries.
Origin of polymer science
Humans have benefit of the versatility of polymers for years and years in the form of oils, tars, resins and gums. However, it had not been until the industrial revolution the polymer industry developed. In reality, the birth of polymer science may be traced to the mid-nineteenth century. In the 1830s, Charles Goodyear developed the vulcanization procedure that transformed the sticky latex of natural rubber in to a useful elastomer for tire use. In 1909, Leo Hendrik Baekeland created resin from two common chemicals, phenol and formaldehyde. The reaction between these 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 that we use today. The term “polymer” is derived from the Greek roots “poly” and “mer,” which assembled means “many parts.” Polymeric substances are composed of numerous chemical units called monomers, which can be joined together into large molecular chains comprising 1000s of atoms.
Classification of polymers
Judging by their origin, methyl methacrylate resin might be regarded as natural or synthetic polymers. Natural polymers are the types polymers that happen in nature knowning that which can be isolated from plant and animal resources. Starch, cellulose, proteins, natural rubber etc. are a few types of natural polymers. Though they are processed to get the end product, considering that the basic material develops from a natural source, these polymers are termed as natural polymers. Natural rubber received from tree latex is basically a polymer created from isoprene units with a tiny proportion of impurities inside it.
Within this context, biopolymers will also be significant. There exists large number of biopolymers including polysaccharides, polyesters, and polyamides. They are naturally produced by microorganisms. The genetic manipulation of microorganisms makes opportinity for enormous potential for the biotechnological creation of biopolymers with tailored properties ideal for high-value medical application including tissue engineering and drug delivery.
Synthetic polymers, as his or her name indicates, are synthesized within the laboratory or factory by having a number of chemical reactions from low molecular weight compounds. From your functional standpoint they could be classified into four main categories: thermoplastics, thermosets, elastomers and synthetic fibres. Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) is one such thermoplastic produced by the polymerization with the monomer, methyl methacrylate (MMA). PMMA is frequently called acrylic plastic and lends its properties to a number of 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 products that use a constituent element of acrylic plastic include aquariums, motorcycle helmet lenses, paint, furniture, picture framing, and umbrella clamps, and the like.
A number 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.
As being a leading manufacturer of SUMIPEX® PMMA polymer, Sumitomo Chemical is pleased to work with you understand its properties as a synthetic polymer. To understand more, get in touch with us here.
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