Polymers have for very long been a fundamental portion of our everyday lives because of this that examples is found almost ubiquitously. We are apt to have an impact leading us to believe that polymers are simply just plastics employed for packaging, in household objects and then for making fibres, however, this is only the tip of the iceberg.
Polymers are employed in many applications you may not have thought much about. This blog enlightens you concerning the story behind polymers and just how it has evolved from the time to serve several functions across quite a few industries.
Origin of polymer science
Humans have got benefit from the versatility of polymers for hundreds of years as oils, tars, resins and gums. However, it was not until the industrial revolution that the polymer industry developed. In reality, the birth of polymer science could be traced to the mid-nineteenth century. In 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 created resin from two common chemicals, phenol and formaldehyde. The reaction between both of these chemicals led the way to build up a resin, called Bakelite, named after him. It had been this resin that served as a harbinger to numerous of the common polymers that individuals use today. The term “polymer” is derived from the Greek roots “poly” and “mer,” which build means “many parts.” Polymeric substances are comprised of numerous chemical units called monomers, that are joined together into large molecular chains comprising a huge number of atoms.
Classification of polymers
Judging by their origin, pmma plastic might be regarded as natural or synthetic polymers. Natural polymers are the type polymers that exist in nature knowning that that are isolated from plant and animal resources. Starch, cellulose, proteins, natural rubber etc. are several samples of natural polymers. Though they’re processed to find the end result, because the basic material comes from a natural source, these polymers are termed as natural polymers. Natural rubber received from tree latex is basically a polymer produced from isoprene units with a small percentage of impurities inside.
On this context, biopolymers can also be significant. There’s huge variety of biopolymers such as polysaccharides, polyesters, and polyamides. These are naturally produced by microorganisms. The genetic manipulation of microorganisms makes method for enormous possibility of the biotechnological creation of biopolymers with tailored properties ideal for high-value medical application such as tissue engineering and drug delivery.
Synthetic polymers, his or her name indicates, are synthesized inside the laboratory or factory by having a group of chemical reactions from low molecular weight compounds. In the functional point of view they can be classified into four main categories: thermoplastics, thermosets, elastomers and synthetic fibres. Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) is a such thermoplastic produced by the polymerization of the monomer, methyl methacrylate (MMA). PMMA is usually known as acrylic plastic and lends its properties to a selection of consumer product applications. Being both a thermoplastic and transparent plastic, acrylic is utilized extensively inside the automotive industry in trunk release handles, master cylinder, and dashboard lighting. Consumer goods that have 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 that individuals use in us include Nylons, found in fabrics and textiles, Teflon, found in non-stick pans and Polyvinyl Chloride, found in pipes.
Like a leading manufacturer of SUMIPEX® PMMA polymer, Sumitomo Chemical is pleased to assist you to understand its properties as a synthetic polymer. To know more, get in touch with us here.
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