Polymer chemistry studies and manipulates organic and synthetic chemicals called polymers, which are versatile substances with various properties. The field has been around since the mid-19th century and has greatly expanded, resulting in the development of thousands of substances with practical applications. Polymers are used in many everyday objects, and the field is a multibillion-dollar industry with wide applicability in almost all industrial and scientific fields.
Polymer chemistry is the study and manipulation of organic and synthetic chemicals known as polymers. A polymer is a repeating chain of molecules that join together to form what is called a macromolecule. Polymers are versatile substances, having the various properties of flexibility, lightness, hardness and durability. Polymer chemists find ways to isolate and develop these properties. They also identify unique conductive and chemical properties of certain polymers for industrial and medical uses.
In one form or another, this branch of chemistry has been in the realm of science since the mid-19th century. Nitrocellulose, an early polymer, was developed using the research of Henri Braconnot and Christian Schönbein, respectively. Over the next several years, nitrocellulose and its derivatives were used in a variety of ways, including as an effective wound dressing during the American Civil War.
The first synthetic fiber manufacturing plant was opened in 1884 by a French industrialist named Hilaire de Chardonnet. It produced a polymeric fabric called viscose rayon, which was used as a cheaper substitute for silk. Since that time, the field of polymer chemistry has greatly expanded, culminating in the early 20th century with the development of Kevlar® and nylon. The development of these materials aroused great interest that continues today. Several thousand substances with practical applications have been produced since the early 20th century as a result of advances in polymer chemistry.
The use of polymers is widespread in modern society, providing essential chemical components of many of the objects people use on a daily basis. Tires, plastic bags, compact discs, and disposable contact lenses all contain materials developed from this field of science. Every year more and more articles containing synthetic and organic polymers are placed on the market. Because most polymers are synthetic, products using them generally require smaller amounts of non-renewable resources than their counterparts made from other materials.
Polymer chemistry research is a multibillion-dollar industry in and of itself. This is due to its wide applicability in almost all industrial and scientific fields. Often a need that can be met by polymers is first identified, followed by funding to develop a suitable polymer for that specific purpose. Once the polymer has been developed, it can be explored by polymer chemists to find other possible applications, as well as derivatives that may have their own uses.
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