Polymers have for very long been a fundamental piece of our everyday lives so much so that examples is found almost ubiquitously. We generally an impact that leads us to think that polymers are merely plastics useful for packaging, in household objects and then for making fibres, but this is simply the tip from the iceberg.
Polymers are used in all sorts of applications you do not have thought much about. This blog enlightens you in regards to the story behind polymers and just how they have evolved since that time to offer several functions across a host of industries.
Origin of polymer science
Humans took benefit from the versatility of polymers for hundreds of years by means of oils, tars, resins and gums. However, it was not until the industrial revolution that the polymer industry developed. The truth is, the birth of polymer science may be traced returning to the mid-nineteenth century. Within the 1830s, Charles Goodyear developed the vulcanization process that transformed the sticky latex of natural rubber into a useful elastomer for tire use. In 1909, Leo Hendrik Baekeland developed a resin from two very common chemicals, phenol and formaldehyde. The response between both of these chemicals led the way for the development of a resin, called Bakelite, named after him. It turned out this resin that served as a harbinger to many from the common polymers that we use today. The saying “polymer” comes from the Greek roots “poly” and “mer,” which assembled means “many parts.” Polymeric substances are comprised of countless chemical units called monomers, that are gathered into large molecular chains consisting of 1000s of atoms.
Classification of polymers
Based on their origin, pmma plastic can be regarded as natural or synthetic polymers. Natural polymers are the type polymers that happen in nature and that that are isolated from plant and animal resources. Starch, cellulose, proteins, natural rubber etc. are several instances of natural polymers. Though they may be processed to find the result, since the basic material comes from a natural source, these polymers are termed as natural polymers. Natural rubber coming from tree latex is basically a polymer produced from isoprene units which has a portion of impurities within it.
With this context, biopolymers are also significant. There’s large number of biopolymers including polysaccharides, polyesters, and polyamides. These are naturally created by microorganisms. The genetic manipulation of microorganisms makes means for enormous possibility of the biotechnological manufacture of biopolymers with tailored properties well suited 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 through a compilation of chemical reactions from low molecular weight compounds. Through the functional standpoint they are often classified into four main categories: thermoplastics, thermosets, elastomers and synthetic fibres. Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) is but one such thermoplastic created by the polymerization from the monomer, methyl methacrylate (MMA). PMMA is usually known as acrylic plastic and lends its properties to some number of consumer product applications. Being both a thermoplastic and transparent plastic, acrylic is utilized extensively within the automotive industry in trunk release handles, master cylinder, and dashboard lighting. Consumer items that have a very constituent portion of acrylic plastic include aquariums, motorcycle helmet lenses, paint, furniture, picture framing, and umbrella clamps, amongst others.
A few of the other synthetic polymers that we utilization in us include Nylons, employed in fabrics and textiles, Teflon, employed in non-stick pans and Polyvinyl Chloride, employed in pipes.
As a leading manufacturer of SUMIPEX® PMMA polymer, Sumitomo Chemical is happy to help you out to understand its properties as a synthetic polymer. To learn more, reach out to us here.
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