The Discovery Of Polymer And Plastic Demand - 1249 Words

When many units of repeating molecules react together, monomers, the reaction will yield a product in the form of a polymer (Chemistryexplained.com, 2016). The ‘discovery’ of polymers began in 1920, with the belief of Hermann Staudinger, that there existed a molecule consisting of many smaller repeating molecules, under the name ‘macromolecule’ (Chemistryexplained.com, 2016). Nowadays, polymer and plastic demand is even higher than that of copper, aluminium, and even steel, due to their versatile applications in many different industries (Matse1.matse.illinois.edu, 2016). Polymer synthesis can be either synthetic or natural, and can produce many forms of polymers, depending on the involved monomers, and the intended purpose for said polymers (Essentialchemicalindustry.org, 2016). This process involves three main steps, initiation or separating of the double bonds of the to-be-monomer, propagation or the joining of these monomers, and termination, when the de sired chain length has been reached (Chemistryexplained.com, 2016). History is brimful with scientific discoveries both intentional, and completely accidental, however, it can be seen that the majority of polymers were crafted due to societal demand, although the method of actual synthesis initially may have been serendipitous. Two of the polymers scientifically researched and synthesised due to demand of the times were synthetic rubber, and Bakelite (Chemistryexplained.com, 2016). Many polymers were researched andShow MoreRelatedThe Disastrous Effects of Human Invention Essay1494 Words   |  6 Pagesof Earth. From food scraps to plastics to carbon dioxide, we have polluted this planet to its limit. The existence of the human race has turned our home into a giant landfill. 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