Share

Words

plastic noun - a synthetic material made from a wide range of organic polymers such as polyethylene, PVC, nylon, etc.

The link will open in a new tab.

Sources

The first plastic was created in the XIX century. Its name was celluloid but probably you have never heard of it. Apart from being the first plastic, it did not achieve much. It was based on cellulose which is presented in plants like wheat, other shrubs, and trees. But was too flammable for massive production. 

The word plastic can be used for all materials made of long repetitive rows of one type of molecule. All artificial plastics are made that way but in nature, there are similar products like silk, wool, and proteins. 

With the beginning of the XX century, new, more successful types of plastic occurred. In a combination of phenol and formaldehyde, Bakelite was created. It was less flammable and was used for telephones and radios. 

In 1920 polystyrene occured. After it, vinyl was invented and was used for gramophone records. The production of acryl began which was used as a stronger alternative to glass. 

In the 1930s nylon appeared. Its goal was to imitate silk but was much stronger. Even today it remains one of the most widely used plastics. 

1933 saw the invention of polyethylene which we use to present-day to make countless objects. 

In World War II plastics found wide application. Soldiers wore helmets made out of plastic and waterproof clothes while cockpits’ windows were made out of acryl. With the end of the war, companies turned their attention to the civil population. Today the XXI century is known as the plastic century.  

These unique materials solved many of our problems like keeping food fresh for longer, they limited our usage of materials like silk and wool and decreased rates of deforestation. But they also caused many environmental problems that are not insignificant. 

The challenges we are facing include creating biodegradable plastics, limiting the usage of current plastics and reusing them when possible, and also finding a way to degrade the plastics we have already thrown away.

The history of plastic.