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History of Plastics

The development of plastics is believed to have started around 1860, when Phelan
and Collander, a U.S. pool and billiard ball company, offered a prize of $10,000 to the
person who could design the best substitute for natural ivory. One of the entrants,
although not the winner, was John Wesley Hyatt who developed a cellulose derivative
for the contest. His product was later patented under the name Celluloid and was quite
successful commercially, being used in the manufacture of products ranging from
dental plates to mens collars.
Over the next few decades, more and more plastics were introduced, including
some modified natural polymers like rayon, made from cellulose products. Shortly
after the turn of the century, Leo Hendrik Baekeland, a Belgian-American chemist,
developed the first completely synthetic plastic which he sold under the name
Bakelite.
In 1920, a major breakthrough occurred in the development of plastic materials. A
German chemist, Hermann Staudinger, hypothesized that plastics were made up of
very large molecules held together by strong chemical bonds. This spurred an increase
in research in the field of plastics. Many new plastic products were designed during
the 1920s and 1930s, including nylon, methyl methacrylate, also known as Lucite or
Plexiglas, and polytetrafluoroethylene, which was marketed as Teflon in 1950.
Nylon was first prepared by Wallace H. Carothers of DuPont, but was set aside as
having no useful characteristics, because in its initial form, nylon was a sticky
material with little structural integrity. One day, Julian Hill, a chemist at DuPont, put a
small amount of this nylon material on the end of a stirring rod and pulled it away
from the remaining sticky mass, forming a string. Hill observed that the thread was
quite strong and had a silky appearance and then realized that nylon, when drawn out,
could be useful as a fiber.
The discovery of Teflon happened completely by chance. In 1938, Roy Plunkett,
a DuPont researcher, was conducting experiments using gaseous tetrafluoroethylene
in the preparation of a refrigerant. He synthesized about 50 kg of the chemical and
stored it in steel cylinders. Later, when he opened the valve on one of the cylinders,
no gas escaped. However, the cylinder had the weight one would expect for a full
cylinder of gas. Instead of disposing of the cylinder, he decided to cut it open, and
inside he found a polymeric material that was slippery to the touch, did not melt under
extreme heat and appeared to be chemically inert. Plunkett had accidently discovered
the material that we know as Teflon, the non-stick coating on cookware. It was first
put to use in the atomic bomb project during World War II, to form gaskets that were
inert to the highly corrosive gas UF6 (used to purify uranium isotopes).
Many countries were struck by a shortage of natural raw materials during World
War II. Germany was cut off quite early on from sources of natural latex and turned to
the plastics industry for a replacement. A practical synthetic rubber was developed as
a suitable substitute. With Japans entry into the war, the United States was no longer
able to import natural rubber, silk and many metals from most Far Eastern countries.
Instead, the Americans relied on the plastics industry. Nylon was used in many
fabrics, polyesters were used in the manufacturing of armour and other war materials
and an increase in the production synthetic rubbers occurred.
Advances in the plastics industry continued after the end of the war. Plastics were
being used in place of metal in such things as machinery and safety helmets, and even
in certain high-temperature devices. Karl Ziegler, a German chemist developed
polyethylene in 1953, and the following year Giulio Natta, an Italian chemist,
developed polypropylene. These are two of todays most commonly used plastics.
During the next decade, the two scientists received the 1963 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
for their research of polymers.
Timeline - Precursors
1839 - Natural Rubber - method of processing invented by Charles Goodyear
1843 - Vulcanite - Thomas Hancock
1843 - Gutta-Percha - William Montgomerie
1856 - Shellac - Alfred Critchlow, Samuel Peck
1856 - Bois Durci - Francois Charles Lepag
Timeline - Beginning of the Plastic Era with Semi Synthetics
1839 - Polystyrene or PS discovered - Eduard Simon
1862 - Parkesine - Alexander Parkes
1863 - Cellulose Nitrate or Celluloid - John Wesley Hyatt
1872 - Polyvinyl Chloride or PVC - first created by Eugen Baumann
1894 - Viscose Rayon - Charles Frederick Cross, Edward John Bevan

Timeline - Thermosetting Plastics and Thermoplastics
1908 - Cellophane - Jacques E. Brandenberger
1909 - First true plastic Phenol-Formaldehyde tradenamed Bakelite
- Leo Hendrik Baekeland
1926 - Vinyl or PVC - Walter Semon invented a plasticized PVC.
1927 - Cellulose Acetate
1933 - Polyvinylidene chloride or Saran also called PVDC - accidentally discovered
by Ralph Wiley, a Dow Chemical lab worker.
1935 - Low-density polyethylene or LDPE - Reginald Gibson and Eric Fawcett
1936 - Acrylic or Polymethyl Methacrylate
1937 - Polyurethanes tradenamed Igamid for plastics materials and Perlon for
fibers. - Otto Bayer and co-workers discovered and patented the chemistry of
polyurethanes
1938 - Polystyrene made practical
1938 - Polytetrafluoroethylene or PTFE tradenamed Teflon - Roy Plunkett
1939 - Nylon and Neoprene
considered a replacement for silk and a synthetic rubber respectively Wallace Hume
Carothers
1941 - Polyethylene Terephthalate or Pet - Whinfield and Dickson
1942 - Low Density Polyethylene
1942 - Unsaturated Polyester also called PET patented by John Rex Whinfield and
James Tennant Dickson
1951 - High-density polyethylene or HDPE tradenamed Marlex - Paul Hogan and
Robert Banks
1951 - Polypropylene or PP - Paul Hogan and Robert Banks
1953 - Saran Wrap introduced by Dow Chemicals.
1954 - Styrofoam a type of foamed polystyrene foam was invented by Ray
McIntire for Dow Chemicals
1964 - Polyimide
1970 - Thermoplastic Polyester this includes trademarked Dacron, Mylar, Melinex,
Teijin, and Tetoron
1978 - Linear Low Density Polyethylene
1985 - Liquid Crystal Polymers








CLASSIFICATION of PLASTICS

Many consumer products, such as water bottles and product containers, are made
from various types of plastic. The Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI) established a
classification system in 1988 to allow consumers and recyclers to properly recycle and
dispose of different types of plastic. Manufacturers follow a coding system and place
an SPI code, or number, on each plastic product, which is usually molded into the
bottom. Although you should always verify the plastic classification number of each
product you use, this guide provides a basic outline of the different plastic types
associated with each code number.


Plastic marked with an SPI code of 1 is made
with Polyethylene Terephthalate, which is
also known as PETE or PET. Containers
made from this plastic sometimes absorb
odors and flavors from foods and drinks that
are stored in them. Items made from this
plastic are commonly recycled. PETE plastic
is used to make many common household
items like beverage bottles, medicine jars,
peanut butter jars, combs, bean bags, and
rope. Recycled PETE is used to make tote
bags, carpet, fiberfill material in winter
clothing, and more.



Plastic marked with an SPI code of 2 is made
with High-Density Polyethylene, or HDPE.
HDPE products are very safe and they are not
known to transmit any chemicals into foods
or drinks. HDPE products are commonly
recycled. Items made from this plastic
include containers for milk, motor oil,
shampoos and conditioners, soap bottles,
detergents, and bleaches. Many personalized
toys are made from this plastic as well.
(Please note: it is NEVER safe to reuse an
HDPE bottle as a food or drink container if it
didnt originally contain food or drink!)
Recycled HDPE is used to make plastic
crates, plastic lumber, fencing, and more.



Plastic labeled with an SPI code of 3 is made
with Polyvinyl Chloride, or PVC. PVC is not
often recycled and it can be harmful if
ingested. PVC is used for all kinds of pipes
and tiles, but it's most commonly found in
plumbing pipes. This kind of plastic should
not come in contact with food items.
Recycled PVC is used to make flooring,
mobile home skirting, and more.



Plastic marked with an SPI code of 4 is made
with Low-Density Polyethylene, or LDPE.
LDPE is not commonly recycled, but it is
recyclable in certain areas. It is a very
healthy plastic that tends to be both durable
and flexible. Plastic cling wrap, sandwich
bags, squeezable bottles, and plastic grocery
bags are all made from LDPE. Recycled
LDPE is used to make garbage cans, lumber,
furniture, and more.



Plastic marked with an SPI code of 5 is made
with Polypropylene, or PP. PP is not
commonly recycled, but it is accepted in
many areas. This type of plastic is strong and
can usually withstand higher temperatures.
Among many other products, it is used to
make plastic diapers, Tupperware, margarine
containers, yogurt boxes, syrup bottles,
prescription bottles, and some stadium cups.
Plastic bottle caps are often made from PP as
well. Recycled PP is used to make ice
scrapers, rakes, battery cables, and more.



Plastic marked with an SPI code of 6 is made
with Polystyrene, also known as PS and most
commonly known as Styrofoam. It
is commonly recycled, but it is difficult to do
so and often ends up in landfills anyway.
Disposable coffee cups, plastic food boxes,
plastic cutlery, packing foam, and packing
peanuts are made from PS. Recycled PS is
used to make insulation, license plate frames,
rulers, and more.



The SPI code of 7 is used to designate
miscellaneous types of plastic that are not
defined by the other six
codes.Polycarbonate and Polylactide are
included in this category. These types of
plastics are difficult to recycle.
Polycarbonate, or PC, is used in baby bottles,
large water bottles (multiple-gallon capacity),
compact discs, and medical storage
containers. Recycled plastics in this category
are used to make plastic lumber, among other
products.
Consumers can make better plastic-purchasing decisions if they understand SPI codes
and potential health hazards of each plastic, and recyclers can more effectively
separate plastics into categories. Always check a products classification code prior to
recycling it or re-using it. Its important to stay educated about plastic classification
numbers and plastic types; remember, informed consumers can demand that plastics
manufacturers provide better products.

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