In-depth analysis

Let’s discover together the different types of plastic, but let’s start with the most obvious question, namely what is plastic? Plastic is an organic material that… but wait, plastic is organic material? Although the adjective ‘organic’ is often associated with living organisms or used as a synonym for natural, in the language of modern chemistry, an organic compound is one formed by one or more carbon atoms through a specific bond (called a covalent bond) to other elements. In particular, plastic is a synthetic organic compound formed by large molecules that appear as particularly long chains, called polymers (from the Greek polýs, meaning “much,” and méros, meaning “part”), in which atoms of other elements besides carbon can be found. Plastic, therefore, is a synthetic organic polymer, created by humans. The different types of plastic As we have seen in this article, over time, various types of plastic with unique characteristics have been synthesized. However, the properties of plastics depend not only on the chemical composition of each individual chain but also on the interactions established between the chains and the polymerization process. The most well-known… Read More »What is plastic?

The term plastic comes from the ancient Greek “plastikos”, meaning suitable for molding. Thanks to this property, plastic has spread across all sectors and can be found today in many products we use daily… but there’s always room for surprises. Let’s see where plastic is found and what its typical uses are. Just to mention a few examples, we find plastic in: In short, it’s really hard to imagine life today without plastic. Try to stop and count how many plastic objects you see around you. From where I’m writing, I can count over 20 distinct objects. Incredible, isn’t it? The Use of Plastic in Various Fields We’ve seen that plastic is present in many (all?) market sectors, but which of these takes the lion’s share? The following pie chart shows the plastic production in 2020 divided by end-use categories. As seen, an incredibly large share of plastic production is destined for packaging and containers, a whopping 41% of annual demand. The silver and bronze medals in this unglorious competition go to the construction (20%) and automotive (9%) sectors… plastic medals, of course! This information… Read More »Where is plastic found? Plastic and its uses

Plastic is not part of the Middle Ages or even modern history: plastic was born only about 150 years ago, already considered part of contemporary history. In short, it becomes a symbol of human ingenuity and our society, but unfortunately also of the precarious balance we have with our planet. But let’s take a step back in time and explore this fascinating story, discovering its milestones together. The Beginnings of the history of plastic When Englishman Alexander Parkes synthesized the first semi-synthetic plastic material in 1855, he certainly did not know that his creation would revolutionize the world. The new material was presented at the 1862 London Expo under the name Parkesine, achieving moderate success. Despite the buzz it generated, the Parkesine Company, founded by him in 1866 in East London, failed after only two years of activity: his grand dream of producing massive quantities of Parkesine at low cost proved too advanced for the technology of the time. In the years to come, further studies led to the development of a new product, later known as celluloid. Despite the milestone, difficulties were not over:… Read More »The history of plastic in one minute