Polymer Science vs. Plastics

1
Polymer Science vs. Plastics

• Section 2

2
Polymer Science

• The organized body of knowledge dealing with
  large molecules
• These macromolecules can be either natural or
  synthetic
• exist in several different phases
• Emphasizes the physical and chemical phenomena
  particular to this family of materials

3
Relationships
4
Polymer Science

• These synthetic and natural molecules are all
  strings or groups of small molecules (MERS)
  covalently chemically coupled to form giant
  molecules

5

• Polymer Science- organized body of knowledge
  dealing with large molecules having a repetitive
  atomic pattern
• Polymer Engineering- applying polymer science to
  the creation and production of polymers

6
Plastics

• A generic name for a wide range of certain
  organic substances
• usually produced synthetically
• also occurring in nature
• consists of or contains an essential ingredient
• substance of high molecular weight (polymer)
• at a suitable stage in manufacture can be molded,
  formed or otherwise shaped
• usually through the use of heat and pressure

7

• Plastics- generic term that covers an organic
  material mixture that is formable
• Plastics Engineering- the application of
  engineering principles to plastic material with a
  focus on the end use
• Plastics Engineering Technology- the application
  and practice of forming plastic materials into
  useful articles

8
So what is the relationship between
polymers and plastics?
9
The History of Plastic
10
History of Plastics

• Pre 3500 BC- The Egyptians made papyrus from pith
  of aquatic reeds
• Pre 100 BC- Chinese were making paper

• Pre 2600 BC- Chinese weave and spin natural silk
  fibers
• 751 AD- Chinese explain paper making to Arabs at
  Samarkand

11
(No Transcript)
12
1492

• Columbus discovering America
• Natives had rubber technology at the time
• They had hard rubber soled shoes
• They had the equivalent of raincoats and a hard
  rubber ball used in athletic games and elastic
  water bottles

13
1760

• Enoch Noyes opens his business for making plastic
  combs in Massachusetts
• Signifies
• Early stages of plastic technology in America
• Beginning of the American Industrial Revolution
• First used Keratin and Albuminoid
• Organic protein derived from horse hoofs, horns,
  hair, and nails
• Process- soften the material with hot water, form
  it into the flat shape, and then die cut the
  teeth
• Made buttons and other decorative articles as well

14
History

• 1811- Avogadro gives a paper in which he spells
  out the concept of molecular weight
• The molecular weight of a substance is the weight
  in atomic mass units of all the atoms in a given
  formula
• What do chemists use to make guacomole?
• Avagadros!
• 1832- Wohler synthesizes the first organic
  compound from an inorganic salt, urea
• Disproved the belief that only living organisms
  could produce organic molecules
• Beginning of Organic Chemistry

15
1839

• Goodyear, working with the material the native
  Americans used (Heveva rubber) finds a chemical
  agent to make them stable at elevated
  temperatures
• Invents vulcanization treatment of rubber to
  give it certain qualities, (strength, elasticity)
  and to render it impervious to moderate heat and
  cold Chemically involves cross-linking between
  the polymer chains of the rubber's molecules
• Beginnings of the rubber industry
• Immediately used for telegraph insulation
  allowing further developments in the Industrial
  Revolution

16
1845

• Florence Manufacturing Company was started
• Made decorative articles with shellac molding and
  natural rubber
• Continue in existence today in conjunction with
  Auth Electric
• Manufacture mailboxes

17
1846

• Christian Schonbein in Switzerland
• Invention of cellulose nitrate
• Mix of cotton, nitric acid, and sulfuric acid
• Represents the beginnings of man modifying
  natural polymers to increase their processability
  and functionality
• Used primarily as an explosive

18
1855

• Alexander Parkes
• Parkesine- organic material derived from
  cellulose that could be molded in heat and retain
  its shaped when cooled
• Buttons
• Combs
• Pens

19
Alexander Parkes

• Unveiled at the 1862 Great International
  Exhibition in London
• Applies for patents for some of the cellulose
  plastics and begins whats arguably the history
  of the plastics industry

20
Parkesine

• Parkes had small commercial gains from his
  material and sold the rights of Parkesine to
  Daniel Spill around 1865.
• Spill set up production of Parkesine under the
  names Xylonite and Ivoride and received British
  patents in 1867 and 1869
• Xylonite gets very popular in 1875

21
1858

• Kuerkle publishes the rational formula for
  carbon-hydrogen compounds
• Carbon is identified as being tetravalent (4)
  and hydrogen univalent (1)
• The formula is CnH2n2

Carbon     With orbitals of sp3     I want to
make a bond with thee,     Together we,
covalently,     Will translate through eternity!
Hydrogens     Oh, carbon atom, we respond    
With our s orbitals, to bond!
1
1
4
1
2
1
3
1
22
1860

• Louis Pasteur explains isomers.
• Chemically the same but physically different
  substances

23
1863- Berthel to talk about addition
polymerization
1866- Nobel invents dynamite- Nitro glycerin
1869- Cellulose Acetate debuts
1864- Collodion emulsion photographic dry plate
invented by English Sayce and Bolton
24
1868

• John Wesley Hyatt developed collodion
• mixture of alcohol and cellulose nitrate
• first items molded were billiard balls as part of
  a pursuit of a 10,000 prize offered because of
  the absence of ivory
• highly flammable and produced a small explosion
  upon contact
• Hyatt reported we had a letter from a billiard
  saloon proprietor in Colorado mentioning this
  factsaying he did not care about it, but that
  instantly every man in the room pulled a gun.
• Camphor, a derivative of the Laurel tree, was
  added to avoid explosions
• Celluliod

25
Celluliod

• 1870- Hyatt received a U.S. patent for Celluliod
• 1871- The Hyatt brothers started Celluloid, Inc.
  which later became Celanese Corp.

26
(No Transcript)
27
The Hyatt Brothers

• Coincident with this introduction is the
  invention of the injection molding machine by
  Isaac Hyatt (brother)
• Hyatt also makes jewelry and goes on to invent
  blow molding as well as an additional 250 other
  patents in his name including the famous Hyatt
  roller bearings

28
1878- Carbon Filament for light bulbs- first use
of polymeric materials to make fibers
1900- Spinning box for fiber production-
1,000,000
1889- Nitro Cellulose photographic film is
invented by Goodwin- Original Kodak
patent-Begins modern photography era
1885- Swans nitrocellulose mono-filament
crocheted in doilies
1890- Rayon Cuprammoium artificial silk
1884- Spill SUGS Hyatt and wins initially
1886- Pyroxylin lacquers using amyl acetate
29
1907

• Dr. Leo Bakeland ("The Father of the Plastics
  Industry") develops the first thermoset molding
  compound, a phenolic called bakelite in Yonkers,
  NY.
• First synthetic (man-made) plastic
• An answer to higher temperature performance
  problems by synthetic materials
• Replaced rubber for insulation in electrics
• Bakelands Lab represents the beginnings of a
  dedicated plastics polymer science laboratory

30
Bakelite

• 1910 Bakelite production begins at the General
  Bakelite Company
• The plastic finds widespread use in
• electric insulation
• electric plugs and sockets
• clock bases, iron handles
• jewelry
• Still produced by Phenco today

31
(No Transcript)
32
Bakelite

• What was one of the main features of Leo
  Bakeland's invention "Bakelite," an early
  plastic?
• a) It was harder than steel.b) It would not
  soften when heated. c) It was used for false
  teeth.d) It was used to make bullets for the
  U.S. army.

33
History

• 1912- Cellophane is invented
• Discovered by a Swiss chemist named Jacques
  Brandenberger
• Synthetic
• Better refrigeration of foods

• 1908- Continuous sheet extrusion is invented at
  Kodak for making their film

34
1927

• 1927- Dupont enters the plastics industry
• Previously was an explosives manufacturer
• Foresaw growth in plastics
• Their key scientist was Dr. Wallace H. Carothers.
  
• Published theory of polycondensation
• Invented Neoprene and Nylon

35
1931 Neoprene synthetic rubber invented
1935 Nylon invented
36
Local

• 1928- Erie Resistor enters the injection molding
  industry
• plastic washing machine, radio and car parts.
• Beginning of the Erie Plastics Industry

37

• What follows was the development of two parallel
  industries, plastics and polymer science.
• Both continued to make strides along with the
  growth of the Industrial Revolution through the
  20s and 30s developing both new plastics and
  new processing techniques.
• The industry has grown since that time at between
  2 to 5 a year and now represents approximately
  10 of the industrial production in the United
  States and worldwide, and there is no sign of
  this growth diminishing in the near future.
• If anything, it will increase