What is a polymer? The most simple definition of a polymer is something made of many units. Think of a polymer as a chain. Each link of the chain is the "mer" or basic unit that is made of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and/or silicon. To make the chain, many(poly) links or "mers" are hooked or poly-merized together. Polymerization can be demonstrated by linking strips of construction paper together to make paper garlands or hooking together hundreds of paper clips to form chains.

Polymers have been with us since the beginning of time. Natural polymers include such things as starch, tar and shellac, tortoise shell and horns, as well as tree saps that produce amber and latex. These polymers were processed with heat and pressure into useful articles like hair ornaments and jewelry. Natural polymers began to be chemically modified during the 1800s to produce many materials. The most famous of these were vulcanized rubber, gun cotton, and celluloid. The first semi-synthetic polymer produced was Bakelite in 1909 and was soon followed by the first synthetic fiber, rayon, which was developed in 1911 Today, the polymer industry has become larger than the aluminum, copper and steel industries combined.

Besides the chain-like structure of all polymers, polymers have a number of properties that make them useful:

1. Polymers can be very resistant to chemicals. Consider all the cleaning fluids in your home that are packaged in plastic. 

2. Polymers can be both thermal and electrical insulators. A walk through your house will reinforce this concept, as you consider all the appliances, cords, electrical outlets, and wiring, that are made or covered with polymeric materials. Thermal resistance is evident in the kitchen with pot and pan handles made of polymers, the coffee pot handle, the foam core of refrigerators and freezers, insulated cups, coolers, and microwave cookware. The thermal underwear that many skiers wear is made of polypropylene and the fiberfill in winter jackets is acrylic.

3. Generally, polymers are very light in mass with varying degrees of strength. Consider the range of applications, from dime store toys to the frame structure of space stations, or from delicate nylon fiber in pantyhose to Kevlar^TM, which is used in bulletproof vests.

4. Polymers can be processed in various ways to produce thin fibers or very intricate parts. Plastics can be molded into bottles or the body of a car or be mixed with solvents to become an adhesive or a paint. Other polymers can be foamed like polystyrene (Styrofoam^TM) and urethane, to name just two examples.

Polymers already have a range of applications that far exceeds that of any other class of materials. Current applications range from adhesives, coatings, foams, and packaging materials to textile and industrial fibers, composites, electronic devices, biomedical devices, optical devices, and precursors for many newly developed high-tech ceramics.

Applications of Polymers In: