The middle years of the 19th century saw the beginning of the use of plastic and rubber to produce varieties of products, although natural rubber had been widely used by people for several hundreds and even thousands of years, but the 20th century was truly when plastics were produced and widely used. There are many chemists that have made contributions to the history of the plastic industry and just a few are mentioned in the succeeding paragraphs.
Charles Goodyear was one of the first plastics pioneers, and he attempted to find a way to make rubber more durable. Rubber was being used to make some items, but it was unable to handle seasonal temperature extremes. Goodyear postulated that combining rubber with other substances could transform it into a highly durable substance that could withstand heat and cold. This process is known as vulcanization, and while Goodyear did not perfect the process, he is largely credited with inventing the process.
Thomas Hancock was the developer of vulcanite, which was rubber that was vulcanized with sulfur. Hancock actually filed a patent before Goodyear, and there is some debate as to whether or not Hancock actually invented vulcanization or was simply inspired by Goodyear's experiments. At any rate, Hancock did invent the machines that processed the rubber and this became a booming industry. His friend also named the process of vulcanization after Vulcan, the Roman god of fire.
From the 1840s until the early 1900s, many scientists continued studying and developing different plastics. One of the first highly usable plastics was Bakelite, which was invented by Leo Baekeland in 1907. This plastic, which is created through a reaction between phenol and formaldehyde, was widely used until the mid-20th century to make kitchen wear, radios, jewelry and toys. It is widely known as the first thermoset plastic. Thermoset plastics are a type of plastic that can be used just once to create a specific material. Thermoplastics, on the other hand, can be re-melted and used again and again.
There are many plastics that were being developed and studied throughout the 19th century and early 20th centuries, but often patents were not applied for or true stabilization was not obtained. PVC, for example, was actually discovered accidentally on two separate occasions. The first time was 1835 by a French chemist and it happened again in 1872, when a German chemist discovered it. It wasn't until 1926, however, that a highly usable version PVC was developed by Waldo Semon, a chemist who worked for B.F. Goodrich. Semon also invented vinyl, which is one of the world's most widely used plastics. Semon held more than 100 patents and it is because of his work that PVC (polyvinyl chloride) is used to make strong plastic pipes, door frames, insulation for electrical cables and much more.
Many plastics have been discovered by accident, such as polytetrafluroethylene, which is better known to all of us as Teflon. A chemist named Roy Plunkett accidently discovered this handy plastic while trying to invent a new type of refrigerant. Polyethylene, a thermoplastic which is used to make a huge variety of thermoformed packages and products also was discovered by accident by a German chemist in 1898. However, it wasn't until 1935 that this plastic was suitable for wide-spread use.
Charles Goodyear was one of the first plastics pioneers, and he attempted to find a way to make rubber more durable. Rubber was being used to make some items, but it was unable to handle seasonal temperature extremes. Goodyear postulated that combining rubber with other substances could transform it into a highly durable substance that could withstand heat and cold. This process is known as vulcanization, and while Goodyear did not perfect the process, he is largely credited with inventing the process.
Thomas Hancock was the developer of vulcanite, which was rubber that was vulcanized with sulfur. Hancock actually filed a patent before Goodyear, and there is some debate as to whether or not Hancock actually invented vulcanization or was simply inspired by Goodyear's experiments. At any rate, Hancock did invent the machines that processed the rubber and this became a booming industry. His friend also named the process of vulcanization after Vulcan, the Roman god of fire.
From the 1840s until the early 1900s, many scientists continued studying and developing different plastics. One of the first highly usable plastics was Bakelite, which was invented by Leo Baekeland in 1907. This plastic, which is created through a reaction between phenol and formaldehyde, was widely used until the mid-20th century to make kitchen wear, radios, jewelry and toys. It is widely known as the first thermoset plastic. Thermoset plastics are a type of plastic that can be used just once to create a specific material. Thermoplastics, on the other hand, can be re-melted and used again and again.
There are many plastics that were being developed and studied throughout the 19th century and early 20th centuries, but often patents were not applied for or true stabilization was not obtained. PVC, for example, was actually discovered accidentally on two separate occasions. The first time was 1835 by a French chemist and it happened again in 1872, when a German chemist discovered it. It wasn't until 1926, however, that a highly usable version PVC was developed by Waldo Semon, a chemist who worked for B.F. Goodrich. Semon also invented vinyl, which is one of the world's most widely used plastics. Semon held more than 100 patents and it is because of his work that PVC (polyvinyl chloride) is used to make strong plastic pipes, door frames, insulation for electrical cables and much more.
Many plastics have been discovered by accident, such as polytetrafluroethylene, which is better known to all of us as Teflon. A chemist named Roy Plunkett accidently discovered this handy plastic while trying to invent a new type of refrigerant. Polyethylene, a thermoplastic which is used to make a huge variety of thermoformed packages and products also was discovered by accident by a German chemist in 1898. However, it wasn't until 1935 that this plastic was suitable for wide-spread use.
About the Author:
Lenna Stockwell enjoys writing about how stuff is made. For further details about plastic thermoforming solutions or to find out more about thermoform plastics, please visit the Indepak website today.
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