Polymers have for long been a fundamental element of our everyday lives because of this that examples is found almost ubiquitously. We generally have the feeling leading us to trust that polymers are simply plastics useful for packaging, in household objects and for making fibres, however, this is the tip of the iceberg.

Polymers are widely-used in many applications you might not have thought much about. This web site enlightens you in regards to the story behind polymers and exactly how it’s got evolved since to serve several functions across numerous industries.
Origin of polymer science
Humans took advantage of the flexibility of polymers since way back when as oils, tars, resins and gums. However, it wasn’t before industrial revolution the polymer industry developed. In fact, the birth of polymer science could 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 in a useful elastomer for tire use. In 1909, Leo Hendrik Baekeland designed a resin from two common chemicals, phenol and formaldehyde. The response between these chemicals paved the way to add mass to a resin, called Bakelite, named after him. It absolutely was this resin that served like a harbinger to many people of the common polymers that individuals use today. The saying “polymer” hails from the Greek roots “poly” and “mer,” which come up with means “many parts.” Polymeric substances are made of several chemical units called monomers, which can be gathered into large molecular chains composed of thousands of atoms.
Classification of polymers
On such basis as their origin, polymethyl methacrylate might be considered natural or synthetic polymers. Natural polymers are the type polymers that exist in nature which which can be isolated from plant and animal resources. Starch, cellulose, proteins, natural rubber etc. are a few instances of natural polymers. Though they are processed to find the product, because the basic material comes from a natural source, these polymers are known as natural polymers. Natural rubber received from tree latex is actually a polymer made from isoprene units which has a tiny proportion of impurities within it.
With this context, biopolymers are also significant. There exists vast number of biopolymers such as polysaccharides, polyesters, and polyamides. They may be naturally manufactured by microorganisms. The genetic manipulation of microorganisms makes means for enormous prospect of the biotechnological manufacture of biopolymers with tailored properties well suited for high-value medical application such as tissue engineering and drug delivery.
Synthetic polymers, as his or her name indicates, are synthesized inside the laboratory or factory through a number of chemical reactions from low molecular weight compounds. In the functional viewpoint they could be classified into four main categories: thermoplastics, thermosets, elastomers and synthetic fibres. Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) is a such thermoplastic manufactured by the polymerization of the monomer, methyl methacrylate (MMA). PMMA is often generally known as acrylic plastic and lends its properties with a variety of consumer product applications. Being both a thermoplastic and transparent plastic, acrylic is used extensively inside the automotive industry in trunk release handles, master cylinder, and dashboard lighting. Consumer products that have a very constituent element of acrylic plastic include aquariums, motorcycle helmet lenses, paint, furniture, picture framing, and umbrella clamps, and others.
A few of the other synthetic polymers that individuals 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 pleased to work with you to understand its properties like a synthetic polymer. To learn more, get in touch with us here.
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