Plastics have been in use for a long time. The earliest form of plastic was bio-derived, organic polymers from blood and egg proteins egg proteins. Over the years, several new forms of plastic have come into use by the mass market following their discovery. Most recently, expanded polystyrene came into use in 1954. Today, plastics are widely used as manufacturing material which is produced in different forms that suit the product’s specific function.
Plastics have gained popularity due to the many suitable properties that they possess. For one, plastics are resistant to corrosion which makes them ideal for products that are constantly exposed to moisture. Secondly, they have a high strength-to-weight ratio. This means that plastic materials can offer high strength without having to be too heavy. They are also relatively easy to manufacture. Additionally, they are resistant to shock, cheap, durable and have low toxicity. These properties are a result of their molecular structures. Thermoplastics are broadly categorized as homopolymers and heteropolymers. Homopolymers are made up of a single monomer while heteropolymers consist of several monomers (Lower). Some of these are polyethylene and polystyrene among others. Plastics today are used for making handles, chairs, cups, grocery bags, toys and many other common products.
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"Plastics And Their Origin".
Plastics have numerous advantages including durability, cost effectiveness, light weight and malleability which enables them to be easily manufactured into almost anything. However, they also have some drawbacks such as being non-biodegradable which makes them harmful for the environment. However, this disadvantage can be overcome by responsible use of plastic materials. This includes recycling so as to reduce plastic waste.
While plastics pose a threat to the environment, they are also a versatile, affordable material which can also be utilized to preserve other more easily depletable materials. They are ideal in many ways and only require to be used and disposed of appropriately to reduce their impact on the environment.
- Lower, Stephen. “Polymers and plastics: an introduction.” Chem1 Virtual Textbook: A Reference Text for General Chemistry. British Columbia: S. Lower, 2007. Web.
- Royal, Sunshine. Chemistry 101. Lady Leo Publishing, 2008. Print.
- The Editors of Encyclop?dia Britannica, ed. “Plastic | Chemical Compound | Britannica.com.” Encyclopedia Britannica. 2016. Web. 30 Mar. 2017.
