Polymers have for long been a fundamental element of our everyday lives so much so that examples is available almost ubiquitously. We have an impression that leads us to think that polymers are simply plastics useful for packaging, in household objects as well as for making fibres, however is the tip from the iceberg.

Polymers are utilized in all sorts of applications you do not have thought much about. This web site enlightens you about the story behind polymers and exactly how it’s evolved since that time to serve several functions across a number of industries.
Origin of polymer science
Humans have advantage of the flexibility of polymers for years and years by means of oils, tars, resins and gums. However, it had not been before the industrial revolution the polymer industry began to develop. Actually, the birth of polymer science might be traced time for 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 very common chemicals, phenol and formaldehyde. The response between these chemicals paved the way to build up a resin, called Bakelite, named after him. It was this resin that served as being a harbinger to numerous from the common polymers that people use today. The phrase “polymer” is derived from the Greek roots “poly” and “mer,” which come up with means “many parts.” Polymeric substances consist of several chemical units called monomers, that happen to be joined together into large molecular chains consisting of a large number of atoms.
Classification of polymers
Based on their origin, acrylic sheet may be regarded as synthetic or natural polymers. Natural polymers are those polymers that exist in nature understanding that that happen to be isolated from plant and animal resources. Starch, cellulose, proteins, natural rubber etc. are a few samples of natural polymers. Though they’re processed to find the result, considering that the basic material develops from a natural source, these polymers are called as natural polymers. Natural rubber via tree latex it’s essentially a polymer made out of isoprene units using a tiny proportion of impurities in it.
With this context, biopolymers will also be significant. There exists vast number of biopolymers like polysaccharides, polyesters, and polyamides. They may be naturally created by microorganisms. The genetic manipulation of microorganisms makes means for enormous risk of the biotechnological creation of biopolymers with tailored properties ideal for high-value medical application like tissue engineering and drug delivery.
Synthetic polymers, for their name indicates, are synthesized from the laboratory or factory by having a number of chemical reactions from low molecular weight compounds. Through 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 created by the polymerization from the monomer, methyl methacrylate (MMA). PMMA is frequently generally known as acrylic plastic and lends its properties into a various consumer product applications. Being both a thermoplastic and transparent plastic, acrylic is utilized extensively from the automotive industry in trunk release handles, master cylinder, and dashboard lighting. Consumer products which have a constituent portion 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 people use in us include Nylons, utilized in fabrics and textiles, Teflon, utilized in non-stick pans and Polyvinyl Chloride, utilized in pipes.
As being a leading manufacturer of SUMIPEX® PMMA polymer, Sumitomo Chemical is glad to help you understand its properties as being a synthetic polymer. To know more, reach out to us here.
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Just how can a liquid which has just 5 carbon atoms, 2 oxygen atoms and eight hydrogen atoms be used for heavy duty purposes where thermal resistance, electrical resistance and mechanical strength is of prime importance? The answer depends on a word – “Polymerisation”.
Through this infographic, we trace your way of MMA (Methyl Methacrylate), a liquid monomer which is polymerised to lead to PMMA polymer (Polymethyl Methacrylate), and it is various grades.

MMA could be polymerised to PMMA through solution polymerisation, emulsion polymerisation and bulk polymerisation techniques. Each one of these reactions happen in the use of a catalyst. The resulting pmma polymer could be modified to various shapes, sizes and forms based on the additives.
Various grades of SUMIPEX®, the Polymethyl methacrylate resin manufactured by Sumitomo Chemical, which might be obtained on adding additives are:
• ‘High Impact Grade of SUMIPEX® PMMA’ – Properties like high flow and good heat resistance get this suitable for manufacturing extruded sheets/ pipes/ rods, construction materials, automotive parts and industrial applications
• ‘Extrusion Grade of SUMIPEX® PMMA’ – Good extrusion molding characteristics, high surface hardness, superb weatherability and ideal chemical resistance include the properties of this grade that favour its use in extruded sheets/ pipes/ rods.
• ‘Heat Resistant Grades of SUMIPEX® PMMA’ – Excellent heat resistance, excellent surface hardness and mechanical strength enables the usage of this grade in automotive parts for example tail lamp, instrument cluster, optical Lens, general lamps, etc.
• ‘Optical Grades of SUMIPEX® PMMA’ – With excellent heat resistance and flow properties, the optical grades with extremely low numbers of foreign contaminants can be used for light Guide panels and optical lenses.
• ‘High Flow Grade of SUMIPEX® PMMA’- With characteristics like high-flow during injection molding and good moldability, this grade is recommended for intricate parts and thin-wall parts molding for example watch and clock cover, lighting cover, name plate, house ware, etc.
• ‘General Purpose Grades of SUMIPEX® PMMA’ – General Purpose Grades determine difference between normal and optical grades/special grades. General Purpose Grades like MH, LG, LG2, etc. will comw with under “Extrusion Grade”, “Heat Resistance Grade” and “High Flow Grade”. With balanced properties for example heat resistance and mechanical strength, this grade is acceptable in making massive amount products for example house ware, stationery, telephone buttons, piano keys, electrical accessories, ornaments, etc.
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