Polymers have for too long been a fundamental portion of our everyday lives a case in point that examples is found almost ubiquitously. We have the feeling which leads us to trust that polymers are only plastics utilized for packaging, in household objects and then for making fibres, however this is only the tip from the iceberg.
Polymers are employed in all sorts of applications you may not have thought much about. This website enlightens you regarding the story behind polymers and the way it has evolved ever since for everyone several functions across quite a few 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 wasn’t before the industrial revolution that this polymer industry started to realize. Actually, the birth of polymer science may be traced returning to the mid-nineteenth century. Inside 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 response between both of these chemicals paved the way to add mass to a resin, called Bakelite, named after him. It was this resin that served as a harbinger to many from the common polymers that individuals use today. The term “polymer” comes from the Greek roots “poly” and “mer,” which build means “many parts.” Polymeric substances are composed of many chemical units called monomers, that are gathered into large molecular chains comprising 1000s of atoms.
Classification of polymers
Based on their origin, polymethyl methacrylate can be viewed as synthetic or natural polymers. Natural polymers are those polymers that appear in nature understanding that that are isolated from plant and animal resources. Starch, cellulose, proteins, natural rubber etc. are a couple of examples of natural polymers. Though these are processed to obtain the end result, considering that the basic material comes from a natural source, these polymers are referred to as natural polymers. Natural rubber coming from tree latex is actually a polymer made out of isoprene units using a tiny proportion of impurities inside it.
In this context, biopolymers can also be significant. There is certainly large number of biopolymers including polysaccharides, polyesters, and polyamides. These are naturally created by microorganisms. The genetic manipulation of microorganisms makes way for enormous possibility of the biotechnological production 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 from the laboratory or factory via a number of chemical reactions from low molecular weight compounds. In the functional standpoint they may be classified into four main categories: thermoplastics, thermosets, elastomers and artificial fibres. Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) is but one such thermoplastic created by the polymerization from 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 from the automotive industry in trunk release handles, master cylinder, and dashboard lighting. Consumer products that have a very constituent portion of acrylic plastic include aquariums, motorcycle helmet lenses, paint, furniture, picture framing, and umbrella clamps, amongst others.
Some of the other synthetic polymers that individuals used in our everyday life include Nylons, found in fabrics and textiles, Teflon, found in non-stick pans and Polyvinyl Chloride, found in pipes.
As being a leading manufacturer of SUMIPEX® PMMA polymer, Sumitomo Chemical is pleased to assist you in understanding its properties as a synthetic polymer. To learn more, contact us here.
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