19/09/2012
Chronological development of commercial polymers
------------------------------------------------------------
Date Material
------ ----------
1839 Vulcanisation of rubber
1846 Nitration of cellulose
1851 Ebonite (hard rubber)
1868 Celluloid (plasticized cellulose nitrate)
1889 Regenerated cellulosic fibbers
1889 Cellulose nitrate photographic films
1890 Cuprammonia rayon fibres
1892 Viscose rayon fibres
1907 Phenol-formaldehyde resins
1907 Cellulose acetate solutions
1908 Cellulose acetate photographic films
1912 Regenerated cellulose sheet (cellophane)
1923 Cellulose nitrate automobile lacquers
1924 Cellulose acetate fibres
1926 Alkyd polyester
1927 Poly(vinyl chloride) sheets (PVC) wall covering
1927 Cellulose acetate sheet and rods
1929 Polysulfide synthetic elastomer
1929 Urea-formaldehyde resins
1931 Poly(methyl methacrylate) plastics (PMMA)
1931 Polychloroprene elastomer (Neoprene)
1935 Ethylcellulose
1936 Poly(vinyl acetate)
1936 Polyvinyl butyral safety glass
1937 Polystyrene
1937 Styrene–butadiene (Buna-S) and styrene–acrylonitrile
(Buna-N) copolymer elastomers
1938 Nylon-66 fibres
1939 Melamine-formaldehyde resins
1940 Isobutylene-isoprene elastomers (butyl rubber)
1941 Low-density polyethylene
1942 Unsaturated polyesters
1943 Fluorocarbon resins (Teflon)
1943 Silicones
1943 Polyurethanes
1943 Butyl rubber
1943 Nylon 6
1947 Epoxy resins
1948 Copolymers of acrylonitrile, butadiene and styrene (ABS)
1950 Polyester fibres
1950 Poly(acrylo nitrile) fibres
1955 Nylon 11
1956 Poly(oxy methylene) (acetals)
1957 High-density (linear) polyethylene
1957 Polypropylene
1957 Polycarbonate
1959 cis-Polybutadiene and polyisoprene elastomers
1960 Ethylene-propylene copolymer elastomers
1962 Polyimide resins
1964 Ionomers
1965 Poly(phenylene oxide)
1965 Polysulphones
1965 Styrene–butadiene block copolymers
1965 Polyester for injection moulding
1965 Nylon 12
1970 Poly(butylene terephthalate); Thermoplastic elastomers
1971 Poly(phenylene sulfide)
1974 Aramids – Aromatic polyamides
1974 Poly(arylether-sulphones)
1976 Aromatic Polyesters (Polyarylates)
1982 Poly(arylether-ketones)
1982 Poly(ether imides)
1983 Polybenzimidazoles
1984 Thermotropic liquid crystal polyesters
1984 Ethylene and carbon monoxide alternating copolymer (PECO)
1990 Polyethylene ultra-high molecular weight
1990 Nylon 4,6
1998 PBO fibre
1992–1993 PIPD fibre
2007 Nylon 4,T
