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Timeline of plastic development

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This is a timeline of the development of plastics, comprising key discoveries and developments in the production of plastics.

Pre 19th Century

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1600 BCMesoamericans use natural rubber for balls, and figurines.{{cite journal |author=Andrady AL, Neal MA |title=Applications and societal benefits of plastics |journal=Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B Biol. Sci. |volume=364 |issue=1526 |pages=1977–84 |date=July 2009 |pmid=19528050 |pmc=2873019 |doi=10.1098/rstb.2008.0304 }}
1000 BCFirst written evidence of Shellac.
Middle AgesEuropeans use treated cow horns as translucent material for windows. Japanese and Chinese use ox horns for the same purpose, as well as for shades of oil lamps.

19th Century

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1839

|Eduard Simon, a German apothecary, discovers polystyrene.

|{{Cite book |last=Greene |first=Joseph P. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k9GUEAAAQBAJ&q=%22Eduard+Simon%22+%22polystyrene%22 |title=Sustainable Plastics: Environmental Assessments of Biobased, Biodegradable, and Recycled Plastics |date=2022-10-11 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-1-119-88207-7 |language=en}}

1844Thomas Hancock patents the vulcanization of rubber in Britain immediately followed by Charles Goodyear in United States.{{cite book|title=1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created|year=2011|publisher=Random House Digital, Inc.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Veu9u0brhrcC&q=Thomas+Hancock+and+Charles+Goodyear+vulcanization&pg=PA245|pages=244–245|isbn=9780307265722}}
1856Parkesine, the first member of the Celluloid class of compounds and considered the first man-made plastic, is patented by Alexander Parkes.{{cite book|last=UK Patent office|title=Patents for inventions|year=1857|publisher=UK Patent office|page=255|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0nCoU-2tAx8C&pg=PA255}}
1869John Wesley Hyatt discovers a method to simplify the production of celluloid, making industrial production possible.
1872PVC is accidentally synthesized in 1872 by German chemist Eugen Baumann.Baumann, E. (1872) [https://books.google.com/books?id=HNXyAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA308 "Ueber einige Vinylverbindungen"] (On some vinyl compounds), Annalen der Chemie und Pharmacie, 163 : 308-322.
1889Eastman Kodak successfully files a patent for celluloid film.

|{{Cite book|title = Science: the definitive visual guide|last = Hart-Davis|first = Adam|publisher = Dorling Kindersley|year = 2012|isbn = 978-1-4093-8314-7|location = London|pages = 284, 336|language = en}}

1890sGalalith, a plastic derived from casein, is developed by Wilhelm Krische and Adolph Spitteler.{{cite web|url=http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/nenam/milk-stone.htm|title=Jewelry Stone Make of Milk|author=Christel Trimborn|publisher=GZ Art+Design|date=August 2004|access-date=2010-05-17}}
1890sAuguste Trillat discovers the means to insolubilize casein by immersion in formaldehyde, producing material marketed as galalith.
1894Shellac phonograph records are developed and soon become an industry standard.
1898The German chemist Hans von Pechmann first synthesizes polyethylene while investigating diazomethane.H. von Pechmann (1898) [http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k90751n/f312.image.langEN "Ueber Diazomethan und Nitrosoacylamine,"] Berichte der Deutschen chemischen Gesellschaft zu Berlin, 31 : 2640–2646; see especially page 2643. From page 2643: "Erwähnt sei noch, dass aus einer ätherischen Diazomethanlösung sich beim Stehen manchmal minimale Quantitäten eines weissen, flockigen, aus Chloroform krystallisirenden Körpers abscheiden; … " (It should be mentioned that from an ether solution of diazomethane, upon standing, sometimes small quantities of a white, flakey substance, which can be crystallized from chloroform, precipitate; … )

20th Century

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1907Bakelite, the first fully synthetic thermoset, is reported by Leo Baekeland using phenol and formaldehyde.
1912After over 10 years' research, Jacques E. Brandenberger develops a method for producing cellophane and secures a patent.Carlisle, Rodney (2004). Scientific American Inventions and Discoveries, p.338. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New Jersey. {{ISBN|0-471-24410-4}}.
1926Waldo Semon and the B.F. Goodrich Company develops a method to plasticize PVC by blending it with various additives.
1930

|Neoprene is produced for the first time at DuPont.

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1930sPolystyrene is first produced by BASF.
1931RCA Victor introduces its vinyl-based Victrolac compound for records. Vinyl records have twice the groove density of shellac records with good sound quality.
1933The first industrially practical polyethylene synthesis is discovered by Eric Fawcett and Reginald Gibson at the Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) works in Northwich, England.{{cite web |url=http://archive.thisischeshire.co.uk/2006/8/23/275808.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100121071050/http://archive.thisischeshire.co.uk/2006/8/23/275808.html |archive-date=21 January 2010 |title=Winnington history in the making |date=23 August 2006 |work=This is Cheshire |access-date=20 February 2014 }}
1935Nylon is invented and patented by DuPont.

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1938Nylon is first used for bristles in toothbrushes. It features at the 1939 World's Fair and is famously used in stockings in 1940.
1938Polytetrafluoroethylene (commonly known as teflon), discovered by Roy Plunkett at DuPont.
1941Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is discovered at the Calico Printers' Association in Britain. Expanded polystyrene is first produced.
1950DuPont begin the manufacture of polyester.
1951J. Paul Hogan and Robert L. Banks from Phillips polymerize propylene for the first time to produce polypropylene.
1953Polycarbonate is independently developed by Hermann Schnell at Bayer and Daniel Fox at General Electric.
1954Polypropylene is discovered by Giulio Natta with production starting in 1957
1954Expanded polystyrene, used for building insulation, packaging, and cups, is invented by Dow Chemical.
1957The Italian firm Montecatini begins large-scale commercial production of isotactic polypropylene.
1960sHigh-density polyethylene bottles are introduced; they will replace glass bottles in most applications.{{cite web |title=The History of soft drink Timeline|url=http://inventors.about.com/library/weekly/aa091699.htm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120713013450/http://inventors.about.com/library/weekly/aa091699.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 13, 2012|access-date=2008-04-23}}
1965Kevlar is developed at DuPont by Stephanie Kwolek
1980sPolyester film stock replaces cellulose acetate for photographic film and computer tapes.
1988The first polymer bank notes are issued in Australia

References

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Category:Plastics

Category:Chemistry