Biopolymers, Natural Polymers And Synthetic Polymers Explained

Polymers have for very long been a fundamental element of our everyday lives so much so that examples is available almost ubiquitously. We generally have an impression which leads us to think that polymers are only plastics utilized for packaging, in household objects and then for making fibres, however this is the tip with the iceberg.

Polymers are used in many applications you will possibly not have thought much about. This site enlightens you regarding the story behind polymers and the way it’s got evolved ever since to serve several functions across numerous industries.
Origin of polymer science
Humans have taken benefit from the versatility of polymers for centuries in the form of oils, tars, resins and gums. However, it wasn’t before the industrial revolution that this polymer industry developed. In reality, the birth of polymer science could possibly be traced back to the mid-nineteenth century. From the 1830s, Charles Goodyear developed the vulcanization process that transformed the sticky latex of natural rubber in to a useful elastomer for tire use. In 1909, Leo Hendrik Baekeland created resin from two quite normal chemicals, phenol and formaldehyde. The reaction between these chemicals led the way to add mass to a resin, called Bakelite, named after him. It absolutely was this resin that served as being a harbinger to many people with the common polymers that people use today. The word “polymer” hails from the Greek roots “poly” and “mer,” which put together means “many parts.” Polymeric substances consist of numerous chemical units called monomers, which can be joined together into large molecular chains consisting of a large number of atoms.
Classification of polymers
On the basis of their origin, acrylic glass can be viewed as synthetic or natural polymers. Natural polymers are the ones polymers that appear in nature and that which can be isolated from plant and animal resources. Starch, cellulose, proteins, natural rubber etc. are a few examples of natural polymers. Though these are processed to get the end product, since the basic material comes from a natural source, these polymers are called as natural polymers. Natural rubber originating from tree latex is essentially a polymer produced from isoprene units which has a portion of impurities inside.
Within this context, biopolymers may also be significant. There exists vast number of biopolymers such as polysaccharides, polyesters, and polyamides. They’re naturally made by microorganisms. The genetic manipulation of microorganisms makes opportinity for enormous prospect of the biotechnological production of biopolymers with tailored properties suited to high-value medical application such as tissue engineering and drug delivery.
Synthetic polymers, as their name indicates, are synthesized within the laboratory or factory by way of a group of chemical reactions from low molecular weight compounds. From your functional perspective they may be classified into four main categories: thermoplastics, thermosets, elastomers and artificial fibres. Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) is a such thermoplastic made by the polymerization with the monomer, methyl methacrylate (MMA). PMMA is frequently 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 utilized extensively within the automotive industry in trunk release handles, master cylinder, and dashboard lighting. Consumer products that use a constituent part of acrylic plastic include aquariums, motorcycle helmet lenses, paint, furniture, picture framing, and umbrella clamps, amongst others.
Some of the other synthetic polymers that people utilization in our everyday life include Nylons, utilized in fabrics and textiles, Teflon, utilized in non-stick pans and Polyvinyl Chloride, utilized in pipes.
Being a leading manufacturer of SUMIPEX® PMMA polymer, Sumitomo Chemical is happy to work with you understand its properties as being a synthetic polymer. To know more, get in touch with us here.
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