PLASTICS: IN THE LIFE OD THE MORDERN HUMAN 1

PLASTICS: IN THE LIFE OF THE MORDERN HUMAN

GARCIA PELCASTRE FERNANDO ALBERTO

HERNANDEZ GARCIA ALAN ALEJANDRO

NIETO ZARAGOZA MANUEL ALEJANDRO

IPN

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WHAT IS IT?

The plastic are made by varous organic materials. Plastic are madding by synthetic or

semisynthetic compounds and that have the property that they are maleable.

This makes it have several applications. The plastic always been very easy to manufacture

and have low production cost.; so their applications are very diverse. Plastics are produced

by the polymerization. The petrochemical is necessary by the manufacture of the plastics.

The different plastics are determined by the size and structure of the polymer molecule.

It is the usual term to describe a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials

that are used for an immense amount of applications. Let's look where we look, we see

plastic. We use plastic products to make life cleaner, easier, safer and more pleasant. We find

plastic in containers, clothes, buildings, medical devices, cars, mobiles

Plastics are organic materials, just like wood, paper or wool. The raw materials that

are used to produce plastic are natural products such as cellulose, coal, natural gas, salt and,

of course, oil. They have become the preferred modern material because it balances the needs

of today with the protection of the environment.

Plastic is an immensely versatile material, ideal for a wide range of industrial and consumer

applications. The relatively low density of almost all types of plastics gives plastic products

the benefit of lightness.

And, although most have

excellent thermal and

electrical insulation

properties, plastics can be

manufactured that are

conductors of electricity

if necessary. They are

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resistant to the corrosion of many substances that attack other materials, so they are durable

and suitable for use in very demanding applications. Some are transparent, so they serve as

optical devices. They can be easily molded to obtain complex shapes and allow the

integration of other materials to form ideal products for a wide range of functions. In

addition, if the physical properties of a given plastic do not fully meet the requirements, you

can modify its balance of properties with fill, colors, foaming agents, flame retardants,

plasticizers, etc., to meet the demand of a specific application. In principle you can create

plastics with almost any combination of properties to adapt them to practically any

application imaginable. Due to these attractive properties, plastic is increasingly used in the

following applications.

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HISTORY.

The use of polymers dates back to the

16th century BC. C., when ancient

Mesoamerican cultures processed natural

rubber for the first time in solid objects such

as balls, human figurines, bands to tie ax

heads to wooden handles and other objects.8

The ancient Mesoamericans obtained the raw

material to manufacture objects of latex rubber

produced by the Castilla elastic tree. This

species is native to the tropical lowlands of

Mexico and Central America. Latex is a sticky

white liquid that when dried is a fragile solid that retains its shape. Spanish chroniclers

reported that the Mesoamerican natives processed the latex of C. elastica mixing with juices

of another species, Ipomoea alba, achieving the coagulation of the resin. Thus, these

discoveries precede the vulcanization process by 3500 years.8

In 1839, Goodyear (and Hancock in England) developed the vulcanization of rubber, ie

the hardening of rubber and its greater resistance to cold. This is how the commercial success

of thermostable polymers began.9

The plastics industry began with the development of the first thermoset plastics by

Baekeland in 1909. Baekeland produces the first synthetic polymer and also develops the

plastic molding process that allowed it to produce various articles of commerce. These first

plastics were called Bakelite in honor of its discoverer. Baekelite is formed by a condensation

reaction of phenol with formaldehyde.10

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Between the years 1926 and 1928 alquídicos thermoplastic and amines resins,

respectively. The alkyds are polyesters modified by the addition of fatty acids and other

components, are derivatives of polyols and dicarboxylic acids or anhydrous carboxylic acids.

Among the amines resins is urea-formaldehyde, also known as urea-methanal, is a non-

transparent synthetic thermoplastic resin with applications in adhesives.10 Table 1

summarizes other important developments in the historical development of thermoplastics.

Since the dawn of history, the human species has strived to create materials that offer

benefits that natural materials lack. The evolution of plastic began with the use of natural

materials that had intrinsic plastic properties, such as lacquer or chewing gum. The next step

in the evolution of plastic was the chemical modification of natural materials such as rubber,

nitrocellulose, collagen or galalite. Finally, the great diversity of completely synthetic

materials that we recognize as modern plastics began to appear about 100 years ago:

One of the first examples was the invention of Alexander Parkes in 1855, called

parkesina from his own name. It is what we know today as celluloid.

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) was polymerized for the first time between 1838 and 1872.

A fundamental breakthrough took place in 1907, when the Belgian-American chemist

Leo Baekeland created Bakelite, the first plastic made in truly synthetic series.

 

Since the creation of Baekeland, many new plastics have been created and developed

that offer a wide range of desirable properties, which we all have at home, in the office, in the

factory and in the car. We can not foresee what will appear in the next hundred years, but we

are sure that for plastic, there are no limits!

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The plastic: A story that has been more than 100 years of transformation

From the beginning of history, the human race and the material is not resolved. This

evolution is related to the use of certain natural materials that contain intrinsic plastic

properties such as lacquer and chewing gum Hence the next step in the evolution of plastic,

the chemical modification of natural materials such as rubber, galalite, collagen and

nitrocellulose.

And finally the great variety of materials that are already completely synthetic that we know

today as the weeds; Modern plastic began to appear 100 years ago. Alexander Parkes in 1885

is one of the first examples of plastic. Parkesina is what we know today as celluloid

Polyvinylchloride (PVC) was polymerized for the first time between 1838 and 1872.

In 1907, Leo Baekeland, what is known as Bakelite, was the first plastic book in the really

synthetic series. Since the product manufactured by Baekeland has been developed and

created new innovative plastic models that offer us a variety of desirable properties, which

we all have in our homes, cars, offices and factories.

And maybe we can not predict what will happen to the plastic in the next 100 years, but what

we know is that plastic is not a demonstration that it has no limits.

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Take a look at some of the major discoveries of the past in this video from the British Plastics

Federation (BPF).

MANUFACTURE

The plastics is the perfect product for mordern industry, it has a great facility to work

with, thanks to its malleability and it lightness. The vast majority of plastics are termal and

electrical insulators; They are also highly resistant to various corrosive substances and can

therefore be used to work with hazardous materials.

The physical properties of the plastic are not suitable for the work required, you can

modify its characteristics such as; foaming agents, plasticizers, filler properties, etc.

in plastic there is a great variety of combinations of properties to adapt thern for

certain required carácter.

Manufacturing with injection molding

One of the most common plastic manufacturing methods, injection molding lends

itself to mass production of products ranging from cell phone stands to toys. The injection

molding process melts resin pellets inside the injection machine with a heated barrel. An

auger moves the plastic forward and ensures an even mix of melted plastic. The machine then

drives the melted plastic into a metal mold.

The plastic fills the

mold and results in a solid

plastic part or product. Most

injection molding processes

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employ thermoplastics that you can melt and cool multiple times, which limits material

waste.

Manufacturing with extrusion molding.

Extrusion molding calls for a very similar process as injection molding. The machine

still melts the plastic. Rather than filling a mold with the plastic, the machine presses the

melted plastic through a die that gives the plastic a fixed shape. The extrusion molding

process functions well in the production of a wide range of products, including pipes, door

frames and seals.

The extrusion process can employ either multiple-melt thermoplastics or thermoset

plastics, which only tolerate a single melting cycle.

Manufacturing with Blow Molding

Several variations of the blow molding process exist. The essential process calls for the

production of a hollow, pre-shaped length of melted thermoplastic, known as a parison. A

mold closes around the parison. Air pressure forces the hollow plastic to expand into the

mold shape, leaving the interior of the object hollow.

Variations on the blow molding process include injection and extrusion blow molding

as well as stretch blow molding. Manufacturers employ blow molding processes to make

bottles and other containers.

Manufacturing with Rotational

Molding

Rotational molding offers a

second option for manufacturing hollow

objects. In rotational molding, the

plastic powder goes in the mold before

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heating. The closed mold enters a furnace and rotates, which allows the plastic powder to

coat the entire interior of the mold. The heat melts the plastic into a single layer that conforms

to the shape of the mold cavity, while leaving the interior of the final product hollow.

WHAT DO WE DO WITH THE PLASTIC?

The plastics don’t help the environment, but the plastics can be controlled not to damage and

use as tolos to heal.

It’s accumulating in the oceans, lakes and rivers; its microbeads are now embedded in our

biology; it is disgusting and dangerous and doesn’t biodegrade. It’s our old friend, plastic.

We’ve all seen the islands of “floatables” collecting in the oceans. Plastic bags hang from

trees and now appear on our political agenda. Last week, several New York City Council

representatives proposed banning plastic bottles from vendors in our parks. New York State’s

Assembly has already overturned the city’s effort to charge a fee for plastic bags.

The Oceanic Society and NRDC provide some simple steps all of us can take to reduce

plastics, but somehow these solutions don’t quite measure up to the magnitude of the

problem. In a global economy with more and more e-commerce, the things we buy are

increasingly packed in plastic and made of plastic. The World Economic Forum’s approach is

more systemic and seems to attack the root causes of plastic pollution, but much of it is

politically infeasible. Their “eight steps to solve the ocean’s plastic problem” include:

1. Reduce plastic dependency

2. Increase producer responsibility

3. Increase fees and taxes on polluting plastics

4. Increased waste management where the problem is greatest

5. Implementation of the zero vision for ocean plastic

6. Increased mapping, surveillance and research

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7. Stop the flow of plastic waste into the sea

8. Increased funds for clean-up

These ideas are sound, but plastic pollution remains the ultimate “tragedy of the commons.”

The waterways are generally invisible common or collective resources and the management

of our waste stream is highly decentralized. While some localities do a good job of managing

waste, others do not have the resources or interest to do much at all.

The fundamental issue of

plastic waste must be

connected to the overall

problem of solid waste, or

what most people call

garbage. Waste

production in the U.S. per

capita peaked around the

year 2000, but growing

population means the volume of waste continues to grow. The volume of waste in rapidly

developing nations like India and China is exploding. More waste in the west and in Japan is

recycled or treated in some way and less is ending up dumped in landfills. Waste-to-energy

plants have become more common, as have anaerobic digesters that use food waste to

produce fertilizer and natural gas. Plastics are either recycled, burned or dumped, but when

they are dumped they persist in the environment. Unlike many other forms of waste they do

not biodegrade very quickly.

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There is one ultimate technological fix to the plastic waste problem: We could develop a

plastic that is strong enough to perform the functions required, but capable of breaking

down after exposure to common natural processes. I have no idea if that is possible, but

perhaps coupled with the steps outlined by the Oceanic Society, NRDC and WEF, we could

address this issue. The lifestyle choices of convenience are unlikely to go away, but perhaps

we could make a plastic that would be less persistent. Short of that, the most practical

element of the solutions proposed is to include a charge for the social cost of plastic

convenience in the price of the good. A bottle or bag surcharge or a tax on e-commerce

packaging could pay for many of the items proposed in the World Economic Forum’s list of

solutions.

This doesn’t require that people give up using plastic, but instead pay the price of keeping it

out of our ecosystems. While such a tax might be politically feasible in some places, the

United States federal government in 2018 is not one of those places.

Behavior change based on growing understanding of environmental impact is also worth

continued exploration. Behavior change based on our preference for convenience is how we

ended up with plastic beverage containers. When I was a kid growing up in Brooklyn, my

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great uncle Joe had a job as a “Soda Man.” He drove a truck delivering cases of bottled soda

and seltzer to our home and picked up the empties. Our milk was delivered in glass bottles to

a box on our stoop by the Milk Man. We also returned those bottles. Delivery and pick-up

was quite convenient, but these services were knocked out of business by lower-cost, one-

way beverage distribution, and the growth of two-income earning households. Someone had

to be home to accept the deliveries—the same problem now faced by e-commerce.

Over time we see changes in consumption patterns and culture. The value of protecting the

planet from discarded plastic is more widely accepted than it used to be, and could become

even more common in the future. It is not unusual to see a student carrying a backpack with a

reusable beverage container affixed to the pack. For the past decade, at Columbia Earth

Institute events we’ve provided New York City tap water to participants served in reusable

glass containers. Building awareness of the problems of plastic waste is essential to building

the value and cultural change that will result in new consumption patterns. It may also result

in the public policies needed to include the full cost of plastic bottle convenience in the price

of the bottle.

The modern economy is built on one-way production, transport and consumption. Changing

consumption patterns can help reduce waste generation and enhance waste management, but

in the long run we need to develop a circular economy based on renewable resources. The

energy and materials the economy requires must be renewable. The collection of waste will

need to be connected to a waste processing system that reuses all resources. Materials will be

sorted and reprocessed for re-use. We are many decades away from the technology needed

for such an economy, but in the long run that is the solution to plastic and other forms of

unmanaged waste.

The economics of raw materials makes mining and dumping materials cheaper than “mining”

materials from the waste stream. But the environmental damage of most mining is not

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included in the price of raw materials, providing a hidden subsidy to raw materials mining.

Still, the economics of recycling will advance with technology, and the price of finite un-

mined materials will go up as demand increases and supply diminishes. The long term future

for the circular economy holds promise.

Which still leaves the problem of the short term and the exponential increase in plastic waste

we may see in the coming decades. In the short run, the Oceanic Society and NRDC are on

the correct path. We need to build understanding of the problem of persistent plastics. We

need local policies to encourage better waste management, more recycling and less use of

plastics in the first place.

Plastics are a symptom of the type of economy we’ve built. It will take a paradigm shift to

build a more sustainable economy. We are at the start of that process, and my hope is that the

planet and its people will be able to reduce waste in the old throw-away economy while we

build a new renewable one.

LINKS

Sociedad Americana de la Industria Plástica. (1998). Plasticos. 19/05/2019, de CREMPE

URUGUAY Sitio web: http://www.cempre.org.uy/index.php?

option=com_content&view=article&id=86&Itemid=104

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Anonimo. (2016). Historia de los plasticos. 19/05/2019, de abc pack Sitio web:

https://www.abc-pack.com/enciclopedia/historia-de-los-plasticos/

PolimerTecnic . (6/04/2016). Origen del plastico. 19/05/2019, de PolimerTecnic Sitio web:

https://www.polimertecnic.com/origen-del-plastico/