Connecticut Plastics: Precision Plastic Fabricators

An Overview on the History of Plastic

Plastic is a synthetic material that is made by polymerizing molecules of monomer materials that are derived from coal, petroleum, or natural gas. It is a preferred material because it is lightweight, flexible, durable, versatile, and mostly affordable. It is used for manufacturing a wide range of products, including packaging for food and beverages, dishes, cooking utensils, containers, eyeglasses, computers, phones, toys, furniture, and many others.

History of Plastic

The first known manmade plastic was introduced in 1862 at the Great International Exhibition in London by a man named Alexander Parkes. Called Parkesine at that time, it was an organic material from cellulose that could be molded after it was heated, and it could retain its shape when it was cooled. During the late 19th century, an American by the name of John Wesley Hyatt used celluloid to produce billiard balls, and this celluloid became known as the first thermoplastic.

Further improvements were made to plastics at the turn of the 20th century. Another form of plastic called cellophane was created by Dr Jacques Brandenberger from Switzerland. This material was the first transparent fully-flexible and water-proof plastic wrap. In 1907, Leo Baekeland, a chemist from New York, invented a liquid resin called Bakelite, a thermoset plastic that was capable of retaining its shape under any condition. Bakelite was used in the manufacturing of military weapons and machines as well as electrical insulators.

By the 1920s, cellophane became a very popular material around the world. Later on, a young Harvard chemist called Wallace Hume Carothers succeeded in developing nylon, which was known as Fiber 66 at that time. By the 1940s, many other polymers were introduced to the world, and these included acrylic, PVC, neoprene, polyethylene, Teflon, SaranTM, and others. In the following decade, plastic began to be used in numerous products, ranging from packaging to new textiles, and it also paved the way for the invention of innovative products such as televisions and computers. In 2007, the total consumption of plastic had reached close to 100 million tones, and this has caused significant depletion of natural resources such as petroleum and natural gas.

Recycling of Plastic

The manufacturing of plastic products created a new industry called plastic recycling. The very properties that make plastic a perfect compound for food packaging, toy manufacture, appliances and electronics, are the same properties that keep it from breaking down in our environment once it has been discarded. The recycling of plastics has saved millions of tons of plastics from ending up in our landfills. More efforts are being made to recycle, reduce and re-use plastic material. Efforts are also being made to produce biodegradable plastics that can be broken down by exposure to sunlight, water, enzymes, bacteria, and attack from pests. Researchers have tried to combine starch with plastic, but this did not lead to complete breakdown. Also, genetically engineered bacteria have been used to create a fully biodegradable plastic, but this method is not cost-effective. Scientists around the world are looking for materials that can replace petroleum-based plastics, and the most promising candidate is fructose.