What is a polymer? Plastics are polymers. The simplest polymer definition is something made of many units.

Think of a polymer as a chain. Each link of the chain is the "-mer" or basic unit that is usually made of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and/or silicon. To make the chain, many links or "-mers" are hooked or polymerized together. Polymerization can be demonstrated by linking countless strips of construction paper together to make paper garlands or hooking together hundreds of paper clips to form chains, or by a string of beads. Polymers have been with us since the beginning of time. Natural polymers include such things as tar and shellac, tortoise shell and horns, as well as tree saps that produce amber and latex. These polymers were processed with heat and pressure into useful articles like hair ornaments and jewelry. Natural polymers began to be chemically modified during the 1800s to produce many materials. The most famous of these were vulcanized rubber, gun cotton and celluloid. The first truly synthetic polymer produced was Bakelite in 1909 and was soon followed by the first synthetic fiber, rayon, which was developed in 1911. The Structure of Polymers Many common classes of polymers are composed of hydrocarbons. These polymers are specifically made of small units bonded into long chains. Carbon makes up the backbone of the molecule and hydrogen atoms are bonded along the backbone. Below is a diagram of polyethylene, the simplest polymer structure.

There are polymers that contain only carbon and hydrogen. Polypropylene, polybutylene, polystyrene, and polymethylpentene are examples of these. Even though the basic makeup of many polymers is carbon and hydrogen, other elements can also be involved. Oxygen, chorine, fluorine, nitrogen, silicon, phosphorous, and sulfur are other elements that are found in the molecular makeup of polymers. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) contains chlorine. Nylon contains nitrogen. Teflon contains fluorine. Polyester and polycarbonates contain oxygen. There are also some polymers that, instead of having a carbon backbone, have a silicon or phosphorous backbone. These are considered inorganic polymers. One of the most famous silicon-based polymers is Silly Putty. Polymer Chemistry: The Molecular Arrangement of Polymers Think of how spaghetti noodles look on a plate. This is similar to how polymers can be arranged if they lack a specific form or are amorphous. Controlling and quenching the polymerization process can result in amorphous organization. An amorphous arrangement of molecules has no long-range order or form in which the polymer chains arrange themselves. Amorphous polymers are generally transparent. This is an important characteristic for many applications such as food wrap, plastic windows, headlights and contact lenses.

Obviously, not all polymers are transparent. The polymer chains in objects that are translucent and opaque are in a crystalline arrangement. By definition, a crystalline arrangement has atoms, ions, or in this case, molecules in a distinct pattern. You generally think of crystalline structures in salt and gemstones, but not in plastics. Just as quenching can produce amorphous arrangements, processing can control the degree of crystallinity. The higher the degree of crystallinity, the less light can pass through the polymer. Therefore, the degree of translucence or opaqueness of the polymer is directly affected by its crystallinity. Scientists and engineers are always producing better materials by manipulating the molecular structure that affects the final polymer produced. Manufacturers and processors introduce various fillers, reinforcements, and additives into the base polymers, expanding product possibilities. Polymer Properties and Characteristics Polymers are divided into two distinct groups: thermoplastics and thermosets. The majority of polymers are thermoplastic, meaning that once the polymer is formed it can be heated and reformed over and over again. This property allows for easy processing and facilitates recycling. The other group, the thermosets, can not be remelted. Once these polymers are formed, reheating will cause the material to scorch. Every polymer has very distinct characteristics, but most polymers have the following general attributes.

1. Polymers can be very resistant to chemicals. Consider all the cleaning

2.

3.

fluids in your home that are packaged in plastic. Reading the warning labels that describe what happens when the chemical comes in contact with skin or eyes or is ingested will emphasize the chemical resistance of these materials. Polymers can be both thermal and electrical insulators. A walk through your house will reinforce this concept, as you consider all the appliances, cords, electrical outlets and wiring that are made or covered with polymeric materials. Thermal resistance is evident in the kitchen with pot and pan handles made of polymers, the coffee pot handles, the foam core of refrigerators and freezers, insulated cups, coolers and microwave cookware. The thermal underwear that many skiers wear is made of polypropylene and the fiberfill in winter jackets is acrylic. Generally, polymers are very light in weight with varying degrees of strength. Consider the range of applications, from toys to the frame structure of space stations, or from delicate nylon fiber in pantyhose or Kevlar, which is
used in bulletproof vests.

4. Polymers can be processed in various ways to produce thin fibers or

very intricate parts. Plastics can be molded into bottles or the bodies of a cars or be mixed with solvents to become an adhesive or a paint. Elastomers and some plastics stretch and are very flexible. Other polymers can be foamed like polystyrene (StyrofoamTM) and urethane, to name just two examples. Polymers are materials with a seemingly limitless range of characteristics and colors. Polymers have many inherent properties that can be further enhanced

by a wide range of additives to broaden their uses and applications. In addressing all the superior attributes of polymers, it is equally important to discuss some of the difficulties associated with the material. Plastics deteriorate but never decompose completely, but neither does glass, paper, or aluminum. Plastics make up 9.5 percent of our trash by weight compared to paper, which constitutes 38.9 percent. Glass and metals make up 13.9 percent by weight. Applications for recycled plastics are growing every day. Recycled plastics can be blended with virgin plastic (plastic that has not been processed before) to reduce cost without sacrificing properties. Recycled plastics are used to make polymeric timbers for use in picnic tables, fences, and outdoor toys, thus saving natural lumber. Plastic from 2-liter bottles is even being spun into fiber for the production of carpet. An option for plastics that are not recycled, especially those that are soiled, such as used microwave food wrap or diapers, can be a waste-to-energy system (WTE). The controlled combustion of polymers produces heat energy. The heat energy produced by the burning plastics not only can be converted to electrical energy but helps burn the wet trash that is present. Paper also produces heat when burned, but not as much as plastics. On the other hand, glass, aluminum and other metals do not release any energy when burned. To better understand the incineration process, consider the smoke coming off a burning object and then ignite the smoke with a bunsen burner. Observe that the smoke disappears. This is not an illusion, but illustrates that the by-products of incomplete burning are still flammable. Incineration burns the material and then the by-products of the initial burning. Polymers affect every day of our lives. These materials have so many varied characteristics and applications that their usefulness can only be measured by our imagination. Polymers are the materials of past, present, and future generations. Resin Identification Codes The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. (SPI) introduced its voluntary resin identification coding system in 1988 at the urging of recyclers around the country. A growing number of communities were implementing recycling programs in an effort to decrease the volume of waste subject to rising tipping fees at landfills. In some cases, test programs were driven by state-level recycling mandates. The SPI code was developed to meet recyclers' needs while providing manufacturers a consistent, uniform system that could apply nationwide. Because municipal recycling programs traditionally have targeted packaging - primarily containers - the SPI coding system offered a means of identifying the resin content of bottles and containers commonly found in the residential waste stream. Recycling firms have varying standards for the plastics they accept. Some firms may require that the plastics be sorted by type and separated from other recyclables; some may specify that mixed plastics are acceptable if they are separated from other recyclables; while others may

accept all material mixed together. Not all types of plastics are generally recycled, and recycling facilities may not be available in some areas.

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Introduction; Uses of Plastics; General Properties of Plastics; Chemistry of Plastics; Thermoplastics and Thermosetting Plastics; Manufacturing Plastic Products; Important Types of Plastics; History of Plastics; Plastics and the Environment

INTRODUCTION I
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Plastics, materials made up of large, organic (carbon-containing) molecules that

can be formed into a variety of products. The molecules that compose plastics are long carbon chains that give plastics many of their useful properties. In general, materials that are made up of long, chainlike molecules are called polymers. The word plastic is derived from the words plasticus (Latin for capable of molding) and plastikos (Greek to mold, or fit for molding). Plastics can be made hard as stone, strong as steel, transparent as glass, light as wood, and elastic as rubber. Plastics are also lightweight, waterproof, chemical resistant, and produced in almost any color. More than 50 families of plastics have been produced, and new types are currently under development. Like metals, plastics come in a variety of grades. For instance, nylons are plastics that are separated by different properties, costs, and the manufacturing processes used to produce them. Also like metals, some plastics can be alloyed, or blended, to combine the advantages possessed by several different plastics. For example, some types of impact-resistant (shatterproof) plastics and heat-resistant plastics are made by blending different plastics together. Plastics are moldable, synthetic (chemically-fabricated) materials derived mostly from fossil fuels, such as oil, coal, or natural gas. The raw forms of other materials, such as glass, metals, and clay, are also moldable. The key difference between these materials and plastics is that plastics consist of long molecules that give plastics many of their unique properties, while glass, metals, and clay consist of short molecules.

USES OF PLASTICS II
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Plastics are essential to our modern way of life. Many people sleep on pillows and mattresses filled with a type of plasticeither cellular polyurethane or polyester. At night, people sleep under blankets and bedspreads made of acrylic plastics, and in the morning, they step out of bed onto polyester and nylon carpets. The cars we drive, the computers we use, the utensils we cook with, the recreational equipment we play with, and the houses and buildings we live and work in all include important plastic components. The average car contains almost 136 kg (almost 300 lb) of plasticsnearly 12 percent of the vehicles overall weight. Telephones, textiles, compact discs, paints, plumbing fixtures, boats, and furniture are other domestic products made of plastics. In 1979 the volume of plastics produced in the United States surpassed the volume of domestically produced steel.

Plastics are used extensively by many key industries, including the automobile, aerospace, construction, packaging, and electrical industries. The aerospace industry uses plastics to make strategic military parts for missiles, rockets, and aircraft. Plastics are also used in specialized fields, such as the health industry, to make medical instruments, dental fillings, optical lenses, and biocompatible joints.

GENERAL PROPERTIES OF PLASTICS III

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Plastics possess a wide variety of useful properties and are relatively inexpensive to produce. They are lighter than many materials of comparable strength, and unlike metals and wood, plastics do not rust or rot. Most plastics can be produced in any color. They can also be manufactured as clear as glass, translucent (transmitting small amounts of light), or opaque (impenetrable to light). Plastics have a lower density than that of metals, so plastics are lighter. Most plastics vary in density from 0.9 to 2.2 g/cm3 (0.45 to 1.5 oz/cu in), compared to steels density of 7.85 g/cm3 (5.29 oz/cu in). Plastic can also be reinforced with glass and other fibers to form incredibly strong materials. For example, nylon reinforced with glass can have a tensile strength (resistance of a material to being elongated or pulled apart) of up to 165 Mega Pascal (24,000 psi). Plastics have some disadvantages. When burned, some plastics produce poisonous fumes. Although certain plastics are specifically designed to withstand temperatures as high as 288 C (550 F), in general plastics are not used when high heat resistance is needed. Because of their molecular stability, plastics do not easily break down into simpler components. As a result, disposal of plastics creates a solid waste problem (see Plastics and the Environment below).

CHEMISTRY OF PLASTICS IV
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Plastics consist of very long molecules each composed of carbon atoms linked into chains. One type of plastic, known as polyethylene, is composed of extremely long molecules that each contain over 200,000 carbon atoms. These long, chainlike molecules give plastics unique properties and distinguish plastics from materials, such as metals, that have short, crystalline molecular structures. Although some plastics are made from plant oils, the majority are made from fossil fuels. Fossil fuels contain hydrocarbons (compounds containing hydrogen and carbon), which provide the building blocks for long polymer molecules. These small building blocks, called monomers, link together to form long carbon chains called polymers. The process of forming these long molecules from hydrocarbons is known as polymerization. The molecules typically form viscous, sticky substances known as resins, which are used to make plastic products.

Ethylene, for example, is a gaseous hydrocarbon. When it is subjected to heat, pressure, and certain catalysts (substances used to enable faster chemical reactions), the ethylene molecules join together into long, repeating carbon chains. These joined molecules form a plastic resin known as polyethylene. Joining identical monomers to make carbon chains is called addition polymerization, because the process is similar to stringing many identical beads on a string. Plastics made by addition polymerization include polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, and polystyrene. Joining two or more different monomers of varying lengths is known as condensation polymerization, because water or other by-products are eliminated as the polymer forms. Condensation polymers include nylon (polyamide), polyester, and polyurethane. The properties of a plastic are determined by the length of the plastics molecules and the specific monomer present. For example, elastomers are plastics composed of long, tightly twisted molecules. These coiled molecules allow the plastic to stretch and recoil like a spring. Rubber bands and flexible silicone caulking are examples of elastomers. The carbon backbone of polymer molecules often bonds with smaller side chains consisting of other elements, including chlorine, fluorine, nitrogen, and silicon. These side chains give plastics some distinguishing characteristics. For example, when chlorine atoms substitute for hydrogen atoms along the carbon chain, the result is polyvinyl chloride, one of the most versatile and widely used plastics in the world. The addition of chlorine makes this plastic harder and more heat resistant. Different plastics have advantages and disadvantages associated with the unique chemistry of each plastic. For example, longer polymer molecules become more entangled (like spaghetti noodles), which gives plastics containing these longer polymers high tensile strength and high impact resistance. However, plastics made from longer molecules are more difficult to mold.

PLASTICS AND THE ENVIRONMENT IX

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Every year in the United States, consumers throw millions of tons of plastic awayof the estimated 210 million metric tons (232 short tons) of municipal waste produced annually in the United States, 10.7 percent are plastics. As municipal landfills reach capacity and additional landfill space diminishes across the United States, alternative methods for reducing and disposing of wastesincluding plasticsare being explored. Some of these options include reducing consumption of plastics, using biodegradable plastics, and incinerating or recycling plastic waste.

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Introduction; Uses of Plastics; General Properties of Plastics; Chemistry of Plastics; Thermoplastics and Thermosetting Plastics; Manufacturing Plastic Products; Important Types of Plastics; History of Plastics; Plastics and the Environment

Source Reduction

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Source reduction is the practice of using less material to manufacture a product. For example, the wall thickness of many plastic and metal containers has been reduced in recent years, and some European countries have proposed to eliminate packaging that cannot be easily recycled.

Biodegradable Plastics

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Due to their molecular stability, plastics do not easily break down into simpler components. Plastics are therefore not considered biodegradable (see Solid Waste Disposal). However, researchers are working to develop biodegradable plastics that will disintegrate due to bacterial action or exposure to sunlight. For example, scientists are incorporating starch molecules into some plastic resins during the manufacturing process. When these plastics are discarded, bacteria eat the starch molecules. This causes the polymer molecules to break apart, allowing the plastic to decompose. Researchers are also investigating ways to make plastics more biodegradable from exposure to sunlight. Prolonged exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun causes many plastics molecules to become brittle and slowly break apart. Researchers are working to create plastics that will degrade faster in sunlight, but not so fast that the plastic begins to degrade while still in use.

Incineration

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Some wastes, such as paper, plastics, wood, and other flammable materials can be burned in incinerators. The resulting ash requires much less space for disposal than the original waste would. Because incineration of plastics can produce hazardous air emissions and other pollutants, this process is strictly regulated.

Recycling Plastics

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All plastics can be recycled. Thermoplastics can be remelted and made into new products. Thermosetting plastics can be ground, commingled (mixed), and then used as filler in moldable thermoplastic materials. Highly filled and reinforced thermosetting plastics can be pulverized and used in new composite formulations.

Chemical recycling is a depolymerization process that uses heat and chemicals to break plastic molecules down into more basic components, which can then be reused. Another process, called pyrolysis, vaporizes and condenses both thermoplastics and thermosetting plastics into hydrocarbon liquids. Collecting and sorting used plastics is an expensive and time-consuming process. While about 27 percent of aluminum products, 45 percent of paper products, and 23 percent of glass products are recycled in the United States, only about 5 percent of plastics are currently recovered and recycled. Once plastic products are thrown away, they must be collected and then separated by plastic type. Most modern automated plastic sorting systems are not capable of differentiating between many different types of plastics. However, some advances are being made in these sorting systems to separate plastics by color, density, and chemical composition. For example, x-ray sensors can distinguish PET from PVC by sensing the presence of chlorine atoms in the polyvinyl chloride material. If plastic types are not segregated, the recycled plastic cannot achieve high remolding performance, which results in decreased market value of the recycled plastic. Other factors can adversely affect the quality of recycled plastics. These factors include the possible degradation of the plastic during its original life cycle and the possible addition of foreign materials to the scrap recycled plastic during the recycling process. For health reasons, recycled plastics are rarely made into food containers. Instead, most recycled plastics are typically made into items such as carpet fibers, motor oil bottles, trash carts, soap packages, and textile fibers. To promote the conservation and recycling of materials, the U.S. federal government passed the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) in 1976. In 1988 the Plastic Bottle Institute of the Society of the Plastics Industry established a system for identifying plastic containers by plastic type. The purpose of the "chasing arrows" symbol that appears on the bottom of many plastic containers is to promote plastics recycling. The chasing arrows enclose a number (such as a 1 indicating PET, a 2 indicating high density polyethylene (HDPE), and a 3 indicating PVC), which aids in the plastics sorting process. By 1994, 40 states had legislative mandates for litter control and recycling. Today, a growing number of communities have collection centers for recyclable materials, and some larger municipalities have implemented curbside pickup for recyclable materials, including plastics, paper, metal, and glass.

Plastics and the environment As more and more plastic packaging materials are used by consumers, more plastic waste is generated. Plastics do not readily break down, and so this waste contributes significantly to environmental pollution by occupying landfill space. Recycling has emerged as one method of combating the problem of plastics waste. Industries that produce or use large amounts of plastics have recycled their wastes for years. Usually they clean and separate the plastics by type. They recycle the thermoplastics by remelting and re-forming them into new products. Thermosets are either ground into fine powders or shredded. The powders are used as fillers. The shreds can be used as insulation in such products as quilted jackets and sleeping bags. In the 1980's, many cities and towns turned to recycling to help dispose of consumer plastics waste. These communities require citizens to sort certain plastic itemssuch as polyester soft drink bottles and polyethylene milk bottlesfrom other waste materials. These plastics can be reused in the same manner as industrial plastics waste. Some communities do not separate the plastics but instead burn the mixed municipal waste. This process yields energy that can be used for electric power or heating. It requires, however, sophisticated incinerators that greatly decrease the acid gases produced by the burning of PVC and other plastics. Another approach to the disposal problem is to design plastics that can be broken down by nature and time. In the 1970's, chemists introduced biodegradable plastics. These plastics break down as microorganisms consume starches or cellulose that are used to separate the polymer chains. Scientists also created photodegradable plastics that break down through long exposure to sunlight. The polymers in these plastics are decomposed by a chemical additive that breaks down when exposed to sunlight.

The History of Plastic

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In today's world, life without plastics is incomprehensible. We all know the many ways that plastics contr to our health, safety and peace of mind. But what about plastics' history - how were plastic materials inve and discovered? Who were the key individuals in plastics' development and use?

Alexander Parkes Invents First Man-Made Plastic

The first man-made plastic was unveiled by Alexander Parkes at the 1862 Great International Exhibition i London. This material - which the public dubbed Parkesine - was an organic material derived from cellulo once heated could be molded but that retained its shape when cooled. Parkes claimed that this new mate could do anything rubber was capable of, but at a lower price. He had discovered something that could be transparent as well as carved into thousands of different shapes. But Parkesine soon lost its luster, when investors pulled the plug on the product due to the high cost of the raw materials needed in its productio Celluloid Makes Its Debut

During the latter part of the 19th century, a rush was on to find a replacement for ivory in billiards balls. Billiards became so popular that thousands of elephants were killed just so their valuable ivory could be obtained. John Wesley Hyatt, an American, finally came upon the solution in 1866 with celluloid. Hyatt, u spilling a bottle of collodion in his workshop, discovered that the material congealed into a tough, flexible He then produced billiard balls using collodian as a substitute for ivory. But due to its highly brittle nature billiard balls would shatter once they hit each other. The solution to this challenge was the addition of cam - a derivative of the laurel tree. This addition made celluloid the first thermoplastic: a substance molded u heat and pressure into a shape it retains even after the heat and pressure have been removed. Celluloid on to be used in the first flexible photographic film for still and motion pictures. The Story of Bakelite

The first completely synthetic man-made substance was discovered in 1907, when Leo Baekeland, a New chemist, developed a liquid resin that he named Bakelite. Baekeland had developed an apparatus - which called a Bakelizer - that enabled him to vary heat and pressure precisely so as to control the reaction of v chemicals. Using this pot-like apparatus, Baekeland developed a new liquid (bakelite resin) that rapidly hardened and took the shape of its container. Once hardened, the resin would form an exact replica of an vessel that contained it. This new material would not burn, boil, melt, or dissolve in any commonly availa acid or solvent. This meant that once it was firmly set, it would never change. This one benefit made it st out from previous "plastics." While celluloid-based substances could be melted down innumerable times a reformed, Bakelite was the first thermoset plastic which would retain its shape and form under any circumstances.

Bakelite could be added to almost any material - such as softwood - and instantly make it more durable a effective. Numerous products began to be manufactured based on this new material. One of the sectors o

society most interested in its development was the military. The US Government saw Bakelite opening th to production of new weaponry and lightweight war machinery that steel could not match. In fact, Bakelit a key ingredient in most of the weapons used in the Second World War.

Bakelite was also used for domestic purposes such as electrical insulators. For this purpose it proved to b more effective than any other material available - so effective, in fact, that it is still used as such today. Bakelite is electrically resistant, chemically stable, heat-resistant, shatter-proof and neither cracks, fades creases, nor discolors from exposure to sunlight, dampness or sea salt. Rayon and Cellophane

Rayon - another modified cellulose - was first developed in 1891 in Paris by Louis Marie Hilaire Bernigaut, Count of Chardonnet. He was searching for a way to produce man-made silk. After studying silkworms, Bernigaut noticed that the worm would secrete a liquid from a narrow orifice that would harden upon exp to air and turn into silk. He deduced that if he could find a liquid that would have similar characteristics to before being secreted, he could then pass it through a man-made apparatus to form fibers that could be and feel like silk. The only problem with his new invention was that it was highly flammable. This problem later solved by Charles Topham.

Cellophane was discovered by Dr. Jacques Edwin Brandenberger, a Swiss textile engineer, who came upo idea for a clear, protective, packaging layer in 1900. Brandenberger was seated at a restaurant when he noticed a customer spill a bottle of wine onto the tablecloth. The waiter removed the cloth replacing it wit another and disposed of the soiled one. Brandenberger swore that he would discover some way to apply flexible film to cloth, which would keep it safe from such accidents and allow it to be easily cleaned with t swipe of a clean towel. He worked on resolving this problem by utilizing different materials until he hit pa in 1913 by adding Viscose (now known as Rayon).

Brandenberger added viscose to cloth but the end result was a brittle material that was too stiff to be of a use. Yet Brandenberger saw another potential for the viscose material. He developed a new machine that produce viscose sheets, which he marketed as Cellophane. With a few more improvements, Cellophane a for a clear layer of packaging for any product - the first fully flexible, water-proof wrap. The Discovery of Nylon

The 1920s witnessed a "plastics craze", as the use of cellophane spread throughout the DuPont, one of the industry leaders, became a hotbed for innovation concerning plastics Wallace Hume Carothers, a young Harvard chemist, became the head of the DuPont lab company was responsible for the moisture-proofing of Cellophane and was well on its w developing Nylon, which at the time they named Fiber 66. Carothers saw the possible va that a new tough plastic such as Fiber 66 could possess. The fiber replaced animal hair i toothbrushes and silk stockings. The stockings were unveiled in 1939, to great public acceptance. H. Staudinger in Germany was the first to recognize the structural nature o plastics, but Carothers built upon this theory. As demonstrated by Carothers, by substitu and inserting elements into the chemical chain, new materials and uses could be developed. During the 1 the world saw the use of such materials as nylon, acrylic, neoprene, SBR, polyethylene, and many more polymers take the place of natural material supplies that were becoming exhausted. PVC, Saran, and Teflon

Another important plastic innovation of the time was the development of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), or viny

Waldo Semon, a B.F. Goodrich organic chemist, was attempting to bind rubber to metal when he stumble across PVC. Semon later discovered that this material was inexpensive, durable, fire-resistant, and easily molded. Vinyl found a special place in the hearts of Americans as an upholstery material that would last f years in the average family's living room.

In 1933, Ralph Wiley, a Dow Chemical lab worker, accidentally discovered yet another plastic: polyvinylid chloride (better known as Saran). Saran was first used to protect military equipment, but it was later discovered that it was great for food packaging. Saran would cling to almost any material - bowls, dishes and even itself; thus, it became the perfect tool for maintaining the freshness of food at home.

A DuPont chemist named Roy Plunkett discovered Teflon, in 1938. Teflon today is widely used in kitchenware. Plunkett discovered the material accidentally by pumping freon gas into a cylinder left in col storage overnight. The gas dissipated into a solid white powder. Teflon is unique because it is imperviou acids in addition to both cold and heat. Teflon is now best-known for its slipperiness - which makes it hi effective in pots and pans for easy cooking and cleaning. Polyethylene

In 1933, two organic chemists working for the Imperial Chemical Industries Research Laboratory were te various chemicals under highly pressurized conditions. In their wildest imaginations, the two researchers Fawcett and R.O. Gibson, had no idea that the revolutionary substance they would come across - polyeth - would have an enormous impact on the world.

The researchers set off a reaction between ethylene and benzaldehyde, utilizing two thousand atmospher internal pressure. The experiment went askew when their testing container sprang a leak and all of the pressure escaped. Upon opening the tube they were surprised to find a white, waxy substance that great resembled plastic. When the experiment was carefully repeated and analyzed the scientists discovered th loss of pressure was only partly due to a leak; the greater reason was the polymerization process that ha occurred leaving behind polyethylene. In 1936, Imperial Chemical Industries developed a large-volume compressor that made the production of vast quantities of polyethylene possible. This high-volume produ of polyethylene actually led to some history-making events.

For instance, polyethylene played a key supporting role during World War II - first as an underwater cabl coating and then as a critical insulating material for such vital military applications as radar insulation. Th because it was so light and thin that it made placing radar onto airplanes possible; something that could done using traditional insulating materials because they weighed too much. In fact, the use of polyethyle an insulating material reduced the weight of radars to 600 pounds in 1940 and even less as the war progressed. It was these lightweight radar systems, capable of being carried onboard planes, that allowe out-numbered Allied aircraft to detect German bombers under such difficult conditions as nightfall and thunderstorms.

It was not until after the war, though, that the material became a tremendous hit with consumers and fro that point on, its rise in popularity has been almost unprecedented. It became the first plastic in the Unite States to sell more than a billion pounds a year and it is currently the largest volume plastic in the world. Today, polyethylene is used to make such common items as soda bottles, milk jugs and grocery and drycleaning bags in addition to plastic food storage containers. Velcro and the Development of Silly Putty A plastic that has struck the fancy of many youngsters over the years is plastic putty -- better known as

Putty. James Wright, a GE engineer, came upon the material by mixing silicone oil with boric acid. The compound possessed some rather unique qualities. It acted very much like rubber in its ability to rebound almost 25 percent higher than a normal rubber ball. This "Nutty Putty" was also impervious to rot and un to maintain a shape for more than a short period of time. It could be stretched many times its length with tearing. This material also would copy the image of any printed material that it was pressed upon. In 194 material was sold under the name of Silly Putty, selling faster -- at that time -- than any other toy in his with over $6 million in sales for the year.

The birth of Velcro, yet another unique plastic product which has impacted nearly all of our lives occurre 1957. A Swiss engineer named George de Maestral was impressed with the way that cockleburs - a type vegetation - would use thousands of tiny hooks to cling to anything with which they came into contact. H devised a product, using nylon, that replicated this natural phenomenon. The result, Velcro, could be sp any required thickness, would not rot, mold or naturally degrade, and was relatively inexpensive. Plastics in Modern Life

Since the 1950s, plastics have grown into a major industry that affects all of our lives - from providing improved packaging to giving us new textiles, to permitting the production of wondrous new products and cutting edge technologies in such things as televisions, cars and computers. Plastics even allow doctors to replace worn-out body parts, enabling people to live more productive and longer lives. In fact, since 1976 plastic has been the most used material in the world and was voted one of the top 100 news events of th century.

None of the applications and innovations we take for granted would have been possible if it weren't for th early scientists who developed and refined the material. Those pioneers made it possible for us to enjoy t quality of life we do today. Learn even more about the role of plastics in your life.