We use plastics for such a wide range of products that it would be impossible to imagine life without them.
From mobile phones, windows, electrical fittings to plastic bottles.
They can all have very different properties, they are all synthetic materials called polymers.
Where do we get plastics from?
Natural sources of plastics come from:
Plants - from which cellulose can be extracted
Trees - from which latex, amber and resin can be extracted
Animals - from which horn and milk (used to make glues) are obtained
Insects - from which shellac (used to make polish) is obtained
What other types of plastics are there?
Synthetic plastics are also chemically manufactured from:
Crude oil
Coal
Natural gas
Plastics are divided into thermoplastics and thermoset plastics.
Thermoplastics plastics can be heated and shaped many times
Examples include:
Covers for car lights, children’s toys and rope.
Thermoset plastics can only be heated and shaped once.
Examples include:
Laminates for kitchen work surfaces, plastic utensils and adhesives.
The first synthectic plastic was first used in 1898 and the one of the most famous synthetic fibres – nylon –was invented in 1938.
In that year, 64 million pairs of stockings were made. Nylon was also used in parachute chords during the Second World War.
Other modern plastics such as lycra, are now used for sports wear and Dacron, crease and rot-resistant material, is manufactured for sailing boats.