The History of Plastics
Our insight into the current and future Plastics Industry is based on our understanding of its history.
There were some plastics being produced and used before 1945, but they were generally seen to be brittle and dark in colour. The emergence of petrochemicals in the post-war world transformed that perception, with new polymers being introduced to the industry and to the public that were brightly coloured, unbreakable and above all cheap. Today we throw away containers that pre-1945 would have carefully preserved and used over and over. So, who would make or buy a pail made of wood today?
The new polymers were above all thermo-plastic, meaning that they could be transformed by injection moulding, calendaring, extrusion and blow moulding into shapes and end-uses that were never possible before. The rates of production could go up 10, 100 or even 1000-fold. Vinyl records allowed music to be played anywhere and the cost of household goods tumbled, putting them in the reach of all household budgets.
The fabricators of complex articles now have a variety of plastics to choose from, going from low-cost materials that have created the throw-away society to high-cost, high performance engineering polymers that support the electronics industry in its quest to develop even more complex goods at even lower prices. A world without plastics would mean a world without computers, mobile phones, and lots of medical equipment. Supermarkets could not exist, at least in their present form, without plastic packaging.
Today's industry has dozens of different plastic materials available in hundreds of different grades to choose from for each new part to be made. Now traditional ways of transforming plastics are being revolutionised by the introduction of additive manufacturing, commonly called 3-D printing. The designer of new goods or parts needs to choose carefully between materials of different performance capabilities, appearance and attractiveness to the end-user.
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