https://researchopenworld.com/the-plastic-age-where-and-what-is-the-future/#
2019
We are currently living in the "Plastic age" as rightfully predicted in the classic movie "The graduate" in the 60's where main character young Benjamin, just graduated and asking himself what to do next gets the famous advice: "I just say one word -Plastics.There is a great future in Plastics!"This was certainly correct; our daily life relies on synthetic polymers for all aspects of modern life.Going back in history, one of the first synthetic resins, a thermoset produced by a catalyzed reaction of phenol and formaldehyde, was introduced already 1909 under the name Bakelite.The creation of a synthetic plastic was revolutionary for its electrical non conductivity and chemical, solvent and heat-resistant properties in electrical insulators, radio and telephone casings and such diverse products as kitchenware, jewelry, pipe stems, children's toys, and firearms.Bakelite was particularly suitable as a molding compound, an adhesive or binding agent, a varnish, and a protective coating and as such extremely useful for the emerging electrical and automobile industries.In the following years a number of new polymeric materials, thermoplastics and thermosets were developed, mainly formed by linking small molecules -monomers -together in a repetitive formation.Plastics are today available with extremely versatile properties ranging from, resistance to corrosion, low density, high strength, transparency, low toxicity, durability and a remarkable affordability and therefore used by almost every industry in the world, from food packaging to space exploration.Plastic is the ultimate commodity of convenience.