The History of Plastic

Plastic has a diverse history. Originally discovered in nature and then perfected by man, plastics are now looking at a complicated future. When was plastic first discovered?

All plastic is considered a polymer, which is a term that refers to a long repetitive chain of molecules. One value of plastic is that it can be shaped when soft and then retain its shape once hardened. Biopolymers are found in nature, and synthetic polymers (plastic) are engineered to have specific properties. People have used naturally occurring polymers for thousands of years. A naturally occurring biopolymer includes keratin which is found in our skin, hair, and nails. Keratin is also found in animal claws, wool, horns, hooves, and feathers. Other naturally occurring polymers include cellulose, starch, latex, silk, leather, chitin, tar, and amber. Natural polymers are a part of you and many things in your home. There are also cellulose based biopolymers. In the past, products such as glue were produced from horse and cattle hooves. Today, such products are produced using synthetic polymers. The first form of man-made plastic was created by Alexander Parkes, who revealed it to the public in 1862 at the London International Exhibition. He named the compound Parkesine which was created by dissolving cellulose nitrate in alcohol and combining it with vegetable oil. Parkesine was an early precursor to celluloid and can be created entirely from organic compounds.

Once discovered, celluloid was produced to replace expensive materials like ivory and tortoiseshell. Tortoiseshell was a decorative material used to inlay furniture and combs. Billiard balls were even produced from celluloid as a replacement for ivory. Eventually, many everyday items such as toys and toothbrushes would be made from the compound. Chemist, John H. Stevens, discovered that celluloid could be successfully diluted using amyl acetate. This discovery allowed for its use in photography and motion picture films. It was then replaced by cellulose acetate, which was a more successful alternative for film, as celluloid was highly flammable.

Dr. Leo Bakeland is credited with creating the world's first synthetic plastic, Bakelite, in 1907. Bakelite is produced from phenol and formaldehyde. One property that made Bakelite so successful was that it could be mass-produced quickly, and once molded, it retained its shape. It eventually made its way into most households by replacing non-conducting parts in radios and many other electrical components. It was found in toys, jewelry, and kitchenware. Bakelite had many good qualities, apart from color. Due to its composition, colors were muted and dull. This weakness of Bakelite would eventually lead to more innovation in the plastic industry, including the development of new types of plastic and compounds to replace it.

Cellophane was created in the early 1900s originally as a waterproof cloth. It was invented by a Swiss textile engineer, Jacques E. Brandenberger. His initial idea was a failure, as the cloth produced was too stiff. However, the plastic coating peeled off in a thin transparent film, making what we now know as cellophane. Its primary use is in food packaging.
Many plastics were invented in the early and mid-1900s, including Neoprene, a synthetic rubber. It is more durable than natural rubber and is used in hoses and gaskets as well as in linings of landfills. Neoprene is also an excellent waterproof material and is commonly used in wetsuits.

Although discovered in the 1800s, Polystyrene wasn't produced on a large scale until the 1930s. This plastic comes in several forms, including solid and foamed. It is largely used in packagings such as foam peanuts and disc cases as well as disposable razors and cutlery. Although it does not degrade by itself, mealworms can safely digest it allowing the plastic to degrade slowly over time. Polyethylene was also discovered in the 1930s by accident. It took several years for a team of chemists to recreate and reproduce the chemistry for Polyethylene. This plastic was eventually manufactured on an industrial scale in 1938 and was used in radar cables during World War II. It is also the main plastic used in 'disposable' plastic bags. However, it takes several hundred years to biodegrade.

In 1934 Du Pont Corporation was hard at work developing a synthetic fiber. They successfully invented Nylon in 1935 and started producing the material in 1939 in limited supply. Nylon is still one of the most used plastics today, one that many people use every day. Nylon is used in pantyhose in addition to fishing line, toothbrush fibers, carpet, and many more military applications such as tires, tents, ropes, and parachutes. Another useful plastic you probably use most days, Polytetrafluoroethylene (otherwise known as Teflon), was accidently invented in 1938. According to Chemours, the company who produced Teflon, it is the most slippery material in existence. Most people know of Teflon coated cookware, such as skillets. It is also used as a stain repellant in textiles. However, few people know that the material Polytetrafluoroethylene was used in the first atomic bomb because weapons-grade uranium could not corrode it. After the war, Teflon was trademarked and then brought to market in 1946. The 1940s brought polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, which you may have heard of recently. PET is typically what most disposable, single-use plastic bottles and containers are made from. However, PET was not used in the blow molding industry until the 1970s to create bottles. This plastic is known for being strong, light, and shatterproof which made them a good alternative to breakable glass bottles at the time. PET is one of the most recyclable plastics, with a code #1 on containers. Recycled PET is known as RPET and can be made into carpet fiber, luggage, new PET containers, shoes, fabric (polyester), and more. If you have seen labels saying a product was created from ocean plastic or water bottles, it's most likely made from RPET.
Polypropylene (PP) was discovered in 1954 by an Italian chemist. PP is an important plastic for injection molding and is commonly used in automotive parts, appliances, diapers, and toys. It can be spun into fibers and used in textiles as well. PP can be recycled and is a code #5 on appropriate containers.

Another well-known plastic, Kevlar, was invented in the 1960s by Stephanie Kwolek. She was trying to develop a new type of light and strong tire when she discovered Kevlar. Kevlar is five times stronger than steel of equal weight and has a high melting point. Its primary use is in protective clothing such as vests and body armor for police and military.

Plastics are critically important to our modern way of life, but where do we go from here? Biopolymers have come back into play in recent years with the circular economy ideology. A circular economy is a system that looks to minimize or eliminate as much material and energy waste as possible through design changes, maintenance, recycling, and upcycling. Many groups and governments are looking to eliminate certain products like single-use plastics that are causing harm to our environment. There is a lot of promise in bioplastics such as plastic made from wood pulp or derived from the keratin in chicken feathers. However, it is a recent discovery that has the most promise. Researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have invented a new material called polydiketoenamine, or PDK. What makes PDK so special? Supposedly, it's a new plastic that can be recycled and reused forever. But how is this possible? Although many (but not all) plastics are recyclable, the additives such as color, flame retardant, or other add-ons, make them hard to be re-used, as they can't be effectively cleaned of the additives before being used in a brand-new product. PDK is different because the bonds that hold it together can be completely dissolved after being soaked in strong acid for twelve hours-thus cleansing it of any additives as well. Although this is a great discovery, PDK still needs more testing on how it can be used. Another team of chemists at Purdue University is experimenting on turning waste plastic into fuel-grade naphtha. More studies are needed to determine if this process will be worthwhile. Their goal is to find more ways to convert plastic waste into valuable products or clean fuels. With chemists inventing new types of plastic and ways to reuse the old ones, the future of plastics is limitless.

​IVP Plastics was founded over 60 years ago and has experience in processing more than 140 custom plastic materials, specializing in reinforced and high-temperature materials.​