Polymers have for lengthy been an integral part of our everyday lives a case in point that examples is found almost ubiquitously. We are apt to have an impact which leads us to trust that polymers are simply plastics employed for packaging, in household objects as well as making fibres, but this is just the tip in the iceberg.

Polymers are widely-used in all sorts of applications you do not have thought much about. This website enlightens you in regards to the story behind polymers and the way it’s evolved from the time to serve several functions across numerous industries.
Origin of polymer science
Humans have taken benefit from the flexibility of polymers for years and years as oils, tars, resins and gums. However, it had not been before the industrial revolution how the polymer industry started to realize. Actually, the birth of polymer science may be traced returning to the mid-nineteenth century. From the 1830s, Charles Goodyear developed the vulcanization procedure that transformed the sticky latex of natural rubber in to a useful elastomer for tire use. In 1909, Leo Hendrik Baekeland created a resin from two quite normal chemicals, phenol and formaldehyde. The response between these two chemicals paved the way for the development of a resin, called Bakelite, named after him. It turned out this resin that served like a harbinger to a lot of in the common polymers that individuals use today. The phrase “polymer” hails from the Greek roots “poly” and “mer,” which assembled means “many parts.” Polymeric substances are comprised of several chemical units called monomers, that are gathered into large molecular chains made up of a huge number of atoms.
Classification of polymers
On such basis as their origin, acrylic sheet might be viewed as synthetic or natural polymers. Natural polymers are the type polymers that appear in nature which that are isolated from plant and animal resources. Starch, cellulose, proteins, natural rubber etc. are several types of natural polymers. Though they are processed to obtain the end result, since the basic material comes from a natural source, these polymers are known as natural polymers. Natural rubber via tree latex is actually a polymer made out of isoprene units using a small percentage of impurities within it.
Within this context, biopolymers can also be significant. There is large number of biopolymers including polysaccharides, polyesters, and polyamides. They are naturally produced by microorganisms. The genetic manipulation of microorganisms makes opportinity for enormous possibility of the biotechnological creation of biopolymers with tailored properties well suited for high-value medical application including tissue engineering and drug delivery.
Synthetic polymers, as their name indicates, are synthesized in the laboratory or factory by way of a series of chemical reactions from low molecular weight compounds. From the functional perspective they may be classified into four main categories: thermoplastics, thermosets, elastomers and artificial fibres. Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) is a such thermoplastic produced by the polymerization in the monomer, methyl methacrylate (MMA). PMMA is frequently known as acrylic plastic and lends its properties with a variety of consumer product applications. Being both a thermoplastic and transparent plastic, acrylic can be used extensively in the automotive industry in trunk release handles, master cylinder, and dashboard lighting. Consumer goods that have a very constituent portion of acrylic plastic include aquariums, motorcycle helmet lenses, paint, furniture, picture framing, and umbrella clamps, and the like.
Some of the other synthetic polymers that individuals utilization in our everyday life include Nylons, utilized in fabrics and textiles, Teflon, utilized in non-stick pans and Polyvinyl Chloride, utilized in pipes.
Being a leading manufacturer of SUMIPEX® PMMA polymer, Sumitomo Chemical is satisfied to help you out to understand its properties like a synthetic polymer. To learn more, find us here.
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Polycarbonate had earned the tag because the most suitable material for usage from the automotive industry. However, in recent times, Polymethyl Methacrylate, the PMMA polymer or commonly known acrylic plastic, has efficiently risen to the growing demands with the automotive industry in replacing polycarbonate for the most important use within the market, namely, automotive glazing.

Long established for usage in several vehicle applications such as decorative trim, ambient lighting and door entry strips, automotive glazing is one kind of those fields offering the best growth prospect of PMMA.
Related key features of acrylic plastic making it ideal for the whole process of automotive glazing are discussed below.
Lightweight
To produce a comparison with a erogenous level, PMMA is half the weight plus more transparent than glass, thereby providing crystal clear visibility even during the truth of fluctuating and unstable temperatures. As a result of its molecular structure, thermoformed methyl methacrylate resin are used almost exclusively for car window glazing where each of the necessary requirements for light-weight materials which might be safe, easy to process and perform in all of the weathers are met.
High on Scratch Resistance
Another important dependence on glazing is scratch resistance. Standard PMMA already gets the highest surface hardness of thermoplastics regardless if uncoated. However, for automotive glazing, you will find stringent conditions being fulfilled to meet the perfect condition of scratch resistance. The effective use of a coating thus remains mandatory. Considering that PMMA is intrinsically UV as well as weathering-resistant, a single-step coating works well. In comparison, thermoplastics who have low resistance to weathering require a two-step coating system. This ends in relatively expense for coating.
New design possibilities
PMMA glazing is 40 to 50 percent lighter than conventional glass, which piques the interest of automobile manufacturers. With all the advantages being immediately obvious, PMMA is considered the correct fit for automotive glazing. Weight savings apart, the transparency of acrylic plastic as well as its extremely high weathering resistance, pleasant acoustic properties, and exceptional form ability allow freedom enabling entirely new design possibilities.
Less negative feelings birefringence
PMMA exhibits almost no stress birefringence which works as a major benefit over other thermoplastics such as polycarbonate, that was primarily employed for glazing in the past. Weighed against traditional materials such as polycarbonate, moulded PMMA, provides a distinct chance for functional integration – reducing recess depth and assembly costs.
Environment-friendly
The newest goal from the automotive marketplace is to build up clean low fuel consumption vehicles. In the awareness and the need for eco-friendly initiatives in the current scheme of things, PMMA works as a perfect replacement for glass from the automotive glazing segment. As vehicle manufacturers push the bounds of design, also is automotive glazing evolving.
SUMIPEX® PMMA polymer offers characteristics that satisfy the latest challenges from the transportation sector. It’s a monumental challenge for auto makers that want to adjust to recent environmental requirements and therefore are contemplating alternatives that reduce greenhouse gas and save fuel. It’s the perfect partner with this movement since it can make cars lighter.
Being a leading manufacturer of SUMIPEX® PMMA polymer, Sumitomo Chemical is satisfied to help you to understand its properties and just how it best suited to automotive glazing.
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