History of Plastics: The Best Is Yet To Come For The Plastics Industry

The history of plastics began in the 19th century, but plastics did not really take off until the 20th century. It was then that the plastics industry started to develop plastics for commercial purposes, allowing for the emergence of a mass consumption society. Many types of plastics have been created since the first invention, and modern plastics have revolutionized our lifestyle. Industrial plastics have improved packaging, produced new textiles and opened the door for new amazing products and cutting-edge technologies. Since 1976, plastic materials have become the most widely used materials in the world; plastic is now listed as one of the 100 most significant events of the last century. It took less than 100 years for plastics to fit so well in our daily lives, and it is difficult to imagine life without them. The development of the plastics industry has been tremendous and quickly surpassed that of steel. After 1945, plastic materials entered every house, regardless of social condition; from remote villages to large cities, in both agricultural and industrial countries. This is the only real phenomenon in the history of humanity that has occurred in such vast proportions and so fast with a dynamic, progressive replacement of traditional materials by synthetic substances. None of the applications and innovations that may be considered obvious would have been possible without the first scientists who discovered and refined the material. To them we owe the quality of life we enjoy today.

 

History of Plastics: A Period of Innovation

Alexandre Parks is credited for creating the first type of plastic. His work, at the origin of the plastics revolution, led to the discovery of a substance called Parkesine, a semi-synthetic thermoplastic material based on cellulose. Revealed to the public in 1862 at the London World Exhibition, its discovery immediately piqued interest. Combs, hair clips and engraved plaques were among the presented objects. At the time, it was thought that this plastic would be just as useful as rubber, but much less expensive to produce. Finally, Parkesine became obsolete because of the exorbitant cost of materials required to manufacture it.

In the nineteenth century, billiards was so popular that thousands of elephants were killed for their precious ivory, which was used by ball manufacturers. Towards the middle of the century, the search to find an alternative was a struggle. In 1966, John Wesley Hyatt created a celluloid substitute for ivory balls made from nitrocellulose and camphor while participating in a contest to win $10,000 from Phelan & Collander, a billiard ball maker that was looking for a suitable substitute for ivory (there is no evidence that the prize was ever awarded). This marks the first use of plastic for commercial purposes. 

Leo Baekland is the creator of the first fully synthetic resin, Bakelite, made from phenol and formaldehyde. Once heated, the resin quickly took the shape of its container. This versatile material, which was a thermosetting plastic, did not base, did not boil and did not dissolve by solvents. Bakelite was widely used in many applications, such as cameras, saxophone mouthpieces, electric guitars and rotary phones for instance, because of its properties of heat resistance and insulation. Bakelite is still used today to produce products such as dominoes or parts of games like chess or checkers.

The plastic family grew quickly with the advent of rayon fabric, cellophane wrap, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyethylene. From the late 1930’s, plastics entered the world of fashion with the introduction of nylon. Plastics’ success continued with the arrival of plastic bottles, styrofoam cups, kitchen utensils, plastic boxes, and plastic film for food. Then silk and cotton began to be replaced with acrylic and polyester. 

Plastics have revolutionized our lives. Communication, travel, recreation, hygiene and health, environmental protection, and human activities are all indebted to this material. The 1950’s brought mass consumption and diversification. The 1973 oil crisis marked a watershed in the history of consumption in general, and plastics in particular. As for alternative materials and disposable low-end materials, they will become increasingly sophisticated materials with specific and irreplaceable properties. Today polymers are products of high technology capable of unmatched prowess in all areas of health, automotive, construction, aerospace, decoration, packaging, sports, etc… Everyday, researchers and scientists continue to expand the frontiers of knowledge, from nanotechnology to medicine, in all areas where plastics can help human beings. They are currently working on solutions that we are difficult to imagine now, but that will soon be part of our daily lives. In medicine, it plastics could even be used in the composition of an artificial blood.

The Emergence of Bioplastics 

The pioneering spirit of plastics has not disappeared. Plastic products are practical and well suited to our hectic pace of life. As the world becomes more environmentally conscious, manufacturers such as Cereplast are seeking innovative and green applications for plastics, as well as new ways to reuse, recycle and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. A prefix now seems secure the future of this material. The use of bioplastics, less environmentally damaging and less dependent on oil prices, could explode in the coming years, says Frederic Scheer, CEO and Chairman of Cereplast. Cereplast provides two families of bioplastic resins – Cereplast Compostables® Resins and Cereplast Sustainables™ Resins, which includes Cereplast Hybrid Resins®.  Cereplast Sustainables™ Resins are not only incredibly durable, but they are also cost-competitive with traditional petroleum-based plastic resin. They are biobased compounds containing renewable sources such as starch, wheat, and potatoes and can be processed at the same cycle time as traditional plastics.  They require less energy in the production process by using significantly lower machine temperatures.

Science is pushing the limits even further and continuously coming up with innovative feedstocks for the production of bioplastics.  Cereplast researchers continually develop and test new biobased materials that can be used as alternatives to fossil fuels as key ingredients in plastic. Soon Cereplast will launch a new category of non-food crop materials, which includes algae. Cereplast algae-based resins will replace up to 50% or more of the petroleum content used in traditional plastic resins. Other potential future biopolymers being investigated by Cereplast include PHA, PHBV, PPC, and succinic acid. Some researchers have created strong biodegradable plastics from fruit, chicken feathers, ground-up animal meat, and even raw sewage.

Many green initiatives continue to emerge, and the plastics industry is at the forefront of many of them. Architect Zaha Hadid decided to design shoes made from recycled plastic. The ethical and chic shoe collection MELISSA was produced and exported to over 80 countries over the past 25 years!