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. Since that time, the polymer industry has grown and diversified into one of
the fastest growing industries in the world. Today, polymers are commonly used in thousands of products as
plastics, elastomers, coatings, and adhesives. They make up about 80% of the organic chemical industry with
products produced at approximately 150 kg of polymers per person annually in the United States