Synthetic polymers types and examples polymer uses. Many examples of synthetic polymers can be mentioned. Conductive polymers or, more precisely, intrinsically conducting polymers icps are organic polymers that conduct electricity. Synthesis of polymers nearly all polymers used in engineering are synthetic they are made by chemical processing polymers are synthesized by joining many small molecules together into very large molecules, called macromolecules, that possess a chainlike structure the small units, called monomers, are generally. From the strand of our dna which is a naturally occurring biopolymer to polypropylene which is used throughout the world as plastic. Polymers make up many of the materials in living organisms, including, for example, proteins, cellulose, and nucleic acids. Science history institute blends history of chemistry, chemical engineering and life sciences. The field of polymer science includes researchers in multiple disciplines including chemistry, physics, and engineering. Polymers history of polymers a plastic material is one that is easily shaped and takes on a permanent set. The first classification of polymers is based on their source of origin, lets take a look.
Baekeland used phenol, an acid derived from coal tar. In 1995 industrial polymers invented speedliner a product which simplified the application of sprayon truck bed liner coatings. An example is styrenebutadiene rubber sbr which is a copolymer of butadiene and styrene. These polymers were processed with heat and pressure into useful articles like hair ornaments and jewelry. You are an inventor working in polymer development your background and biography you are an exceptional scientist with a background in chemical engineering. Polymer chemistry is a subdiscipline of chemistry that focuses on the chemical synthesis, structure, chemical and physical properties of polymers and macromolecules. Tech 1st semester school of chemical sciences mg university 2. From the earliest times, man has exploited naturallyoccurring polymers as materials.
Polymers usually contain many more than five monomers, and some may contain. The easiest way to classify polymers is their source of origin. Request pdf polymer history during the last century and a half, new families of engineering materials known as polymers have been discovered and. May 17, 2014 it was the first synthetic plastic the first to be derived not from plants or animals, but from fossil fuels.
There is still an emphasis on naturally occurring polymers, and discussions of supercoiling, replication, and compacting are included. The common chemical property, high molecular weight through repeating covalent bonds, is the single most important property of these materials. As before, the interplay between natural and synthetic polymers is emphasized. The earliest known work with polymers was the rubber industry in precolumbian mexico. Most is vulcanized and used in tire production though some is used for bubblegum unvulcanised form. The principles and methods used within polymer chemistry are also applicable through a wide range of other chemistry subdisciplines like organic chemistry, analytical chemistry, and physical chemistry many materials have. Conductive polymers are generally not thermoplastics, i. Polyethylene is considered to be as one of the simplest polymer, it has ethene or ethylene as the monomer unit whereas the linear polymer is known as the high density polyethylenehdpe. History of polymers polymers have a wideranging impact on modern society. Synthetic polymers are a mainstay of modern life, but nature also makes polymers. Plastic is a word that originally meant pliable and easily shaped. Polymers are those which consists of repeated structural units known as monomers. Since that time, the polymer industry has grown and diversified into one of.
The investigation of the nature of materials and the creation of polymers is just beginning and is unknown to the inventors. In condensation polymerization, a small portion of the monomer molecule is not incorporated in the final polymer. In reality mankind has run into this interesting material naturally for thousands of years. It was the first synthetic plastic the first to be derived not from plants or animals, but from fossil fuels. Conductive polymerbased membranes, conducting polymers in sensor design, conducting polymer aerogels, coating of conducting polymers on natural cellulosic fibers, electrical properties of polymer lightemitting devices, exfoliated nanocomposites based on polyaniline and tungsten disulfide, phenylenevinylene systems, intercalation. Future trends polymers table of contents mast home page. History and development of polymers presented by vincent joseph m. It emerged in the 1920s amid prolonged controversy and its acceptance is closely associated with the name of h. It wasnt until 1920 that german chemist hermann staudinger 18811965 made his macromolecular hypothesis, suggesting that polymers are actually giant molecules formed by the permanent attachment of countless smaller molecules. The history and future of plastics what are plastics, and. In history, the themes are the periods of human history and the. Polymer science or macromolecular science is a subfield of materials science concerned with polymers, primarily synthetic polymers such as plastics and elastomers.
Chemistry, materials science, polymers and history. Polymers polymers are the giant molecules of chemistry. A free powerpoint ppt presentation displayed as a flash slide show on. They are not aware of the structure of the materials that they are manipulating. Historical development before we go into details of the chemistry of polymers it is appropriate to brie. The term polymer refers to a material which has been made by some polymerisation process. It only recently became a name for a category of materials called polymers. Natural polymers include such things as tar and shellac, tortoise shell and horns, as well as tree saps that produce amber and latex. Some of the most commercially important addition polymers are the copolymers.
Epoxy resins were first offered commercially in 1946 and are now used in a wide variety of industries. A variety of synthetic polymers as plastic polythene, synthetic fibres nylon 6,6 and synthetic rubbers buna s are examples of manmade polymers extensively used in daily life as well as in industry. Polymers and the environment, emulsion polymerization, polymer science approach to physicochemical characterization and processing of pulse seeds, polymer characterization with the atomic force microscope, nonconventional method of polymer patterning, the properties and application of carbon. In the growth of polymeric materials during the last century and a half, plastics are. Jan 18, 2018 history and development of polymers 1. Introduction investigating the thermal history of polymers is crucial to understanding the relation between the internal structure and processing conditions of polymer material. Industrial polymers and chemicals was founded in 1959 by ralph dacey and jerzy engel, two pioneers who shared a vision to serve the abrasives industry. Polymers have been with us since the beginning of time. Now polymers are found in everything from electronic devices to nylon socks and clothing to styrofoam cups. Polymers were discovered long before anyone understood what they were. Polymer is defined as a chemical substance of a high molecular mass formed by the combination of a large number of simple molecules, called monomers.
The history of topas advanced polymers begins with a revolution in catalyst chemistry. The word polymer is derived from the greek term poly, meaning many, and meros, which means part. Polymer research institute commemorative booklet produced by the national historic chemical landmarks program of the american chemical society in 2003 pdf. In this case, the polymer is associated with a speci. Synthetic polymers are those which are humanmade polymers. Based on the development of bakelite, a national historic chemical landmark. Introduction to materials science, chapter 15, polymers. Since this introduction is necessarily brief, the reader desiring a more detailed discussion is referred to any of the many excellent introductory texts devoted to organic chemistry andor polymeric materials, such as references 1 through 3. Throughout the companys history, its hardworking, tightknit staff has been a key to success. Inorganic polymer, any of a class of large molecules that lack carbon and are polymersthat is, made up of many small repeating units called monomers. Chapters in part one focus on types of polymers, including temperature, ph, photo, and enzymeresponsive polymers. The principles and methods used within polymer chemistry are also applicable through a wide range of other chemistry subdisciplines like organic chemistry, analytical chemistry, and physical chemistry. In the late 1980s, a new way of making plastics was launched.
As scientists questoned the data of more and more large molecular weight species as being impractical especially for cellular applications, the aggregate or partial valency hypothessis became popular which said that the molecules did not have to have full valences to form molecules and that these collections of molecules made the large structures. The visionaries at hoechst celanese, the worlds largest chemical company at the time, adapted this new technology to create valuable but formerly difficulttoproduce cyclic olefin copolymers on a much. Polymer chemistry, sixth edition nanjing university. The mesoamericans knew how to combine latex of the rubber tree with the juice of the morning glory plant in different proportions to get rubber with different properties for different products, such as bouncing balls, sandals. Rubbers or elastomers unique materials, both natural and synthetic. Inventor of new polymers science history institute. Introduction of polymers polymer the word polymer is the greek word.
History of polyolefins the worlds most widely used polymers. Fundamentals of polymer chemistry pdf 48p download book. There are three different types based on the structure of the polymers. Your love of this field of study stems from your admiration for your father, a chemical engineer who developed synthetic polymers. The small buildingblock molecules are called monomers. The biggest advantage of conductive polymers is their processability, mainly by dispersion. Natural polymers used throughout recorded history synthetic polymers initially chemically modified natural polymers rubbers or elastomers unique materials, both natural and synthetic. Free polymer chemistry books download ebooks online textbooks. Polymer science and engineering i am inclined to think that the development of polymerization is perhaps the biggest thing that chemistry has done, where it has had the biggest effect on everyday life lord todd,1980 ethylene polyethylene ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 n magic. In the growth of polymeric materials during the last century and a half, plastics are the leader followed by fibers and elastomers. Shape memory polymers, smart polymer hydrogels, and selfhealing polymer systems are also explored. History and development of epoxy resins springerlink. Herman mark and the polymer research institute landmark.
Introduction to materials science, chapter 15, polymer structures university tennessee, dept. For example, poly hydroxybutyrate co vel phbv hightemperature polymers. The inventing bug hit you in college when you got your first. Polymers, as a class of materials with potential for use as rubbers, resins, plastics and composites, and as adhesives, laminates and coatings came nearly in the end of the chain of discoveries and developments of materials.
Polymers usually contain many more than five monomers, and some may contain hundreds or thousands of monomers in each chain. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. The following inquiry based student activities are designed for use in high school lesson planning. Polymer, any of a class of natural or synthetic substances composed of very large molecules, called macromolecules, that are multiples of simpler chemical units called monomers. A polymer is a large molecule or a macromolecule which essentially is a combination of many subunits. Search the history of over 431 billion web pages on the internet. There are polymers made by polymerizing a mixture of two or more monomers. The science history institute is closed to the public until further notice. The first synthetic polymer was developed in 1869, but it was actually not until wwii that research and manufacturing of polymers boomed the history and future of plastics. These types of polymers are used in surgical bandages, capsule coatings and in surgery. In chemistry, the activities relate to the definition of polymers and polymerization reactions. Bassam ibrahim khalil introduction of polymers polymer the word polymer is the greek word. Polymers are substances having molecules with a high number of repeating. The term polymer refers to a material which has been made.
It is this feature which accounts for the characteristic physical properties which set polymers apart from other forms of matter. Natural polymers are polymers which occur in nature and are existing in natural sources like plants and animals. Until the invention of speedliner, the application of sprayon truck bed liners required the use of complex and expensive highpressure spraying equipment. Although many polymers were made in the following years, the technology to mass produce them was not developed until world war ii, when there was a need to develop synthetic rubber for tires and other wartime applications and nylon for parachutes. Harris wright state university, dayton, oh 45435 polymers are extremely large molecules that are essential to our very existence. Linear polymers these polymers consist of long and straight chains. A brief history of plastics, natural and synthetic bbc news. Due to increasing environmental concerns related to global warming and the depletion of oil reserves, the development of microbialbased. In this brief, an example of dsc measurement of polyethylene terephthalate pet is presented. The word polymer means of many parts, and polymers are made of long chains of molecules. History and future of plastics science history institute. The concept of polymers is one of the great ideas of the 20th century. Man and materials through history american chemical society.
Introduction to materials science, chapter 15, polymer structures. Pdf history of polymers pushpender prasad academia. The history of plastic polymers today we often think of plastic polymers as modern magical materials brought to us in chemists labs. Pdf historical development of polymers rehan ashraf. The polymers which are degraded and decayed by microorganisms like bacteria are known as biodegradable polymers. Inorganic polymer chemistry pdf 30p this note covers the following topics. Chemistry notes for class 12 chapter 15 polymers the word polymer has a greek origin. History and future of plastics what are plastics and where do they come from. Free polymer chemistry books download ebooks online. As the complexity of human requirements increased, so did the materials, and by the 19th century durable materials were being prepared from renewable resources such as vulcanized rubber and starch.
Ppt polymers history of polymers powerpoint presentation. The inventing bug hit you in college when you got your first taste of laboratory work. Sustainable polymers may 17, 2020 may 20, 2020 safety harbor, fl the use and development of materials from renewable sources is not a new concept. The history and future of plastics what are plastics, and where do they come from. They are a main constituent of our food starch, protein, etc. History of polymer chemistry polymers are substances made of giant molecules formed by uniting simple molecules or monomers by covalent bonds. Such compounds may have metallic conductivity or can be semiconductors. Polymer science or macromolecular science is a subfield of materials science concerned with polymers, primarily synthetic polymers such as.