Polymers

Tiny molecules strung in long repeating chains form polymers. Polymers are every where even, the human body is made of them. DNA, the genetic blueprint that defines people and other living things, is a polymer. So are the proteins and starches in the foods we eat, the wheels on skateboards and in-line skates, and the tires on our bikes and cars. Polymers are also the basic make up of many artificial formed substances. Polymers are used in modern technology vastly and are a part of every day life from plastic bottles some of the most advance substances that are used in space shuttles

Polymers are large molecules composed of smaller molecules called monomers. Monomers are produced and either grow together or are assembled to produce a single polymer. There are synthetic and natural polymers. Some examples of natural polymers would be wood, starches, fingernails, and hair. Synthetic polymers are usually referred to as plastics. Petroleum, is the primary monomer used to produce polymers. An English chemist named Alexander Parkes was the first scientist to produce the first synthetic polymer in 1862. John Wesley Hyatt, an American, was the first person to produce a useable polymer two years later. He named the product celluloid.

The prime virtue of polymers is a high strength-to-weight ratio. Industrial-strength polymers surpass titanium in tensile strength. To add strength and improve flexibility, polymers are sometimes fortified with short-fiber additives, mostly fiberglass. This is known as a polymer composite. One particular polymer has three times the strength of tempered steel and is being used in bullet proof vests. Another composite will be used to fasten together the sections proposed space stations. Polymers have also been used in cars, including the Chevrolet Camaro and the Pontiac Fiero.

New polymers are being created with more strength and flexibility by combing two chemically different polymers and producing a block copolymer. Combinations of block copolymers and composites and intended for use in booster rockets and in materials of Earth-orbiting installations.

Most common polymers are usually solid, but a new class of polymers is being introduced in a liquid crystal state. Although these polymers still have the physical characteristics of liquid, they are structured more like solids. Many liquid crystals are transparent at one temperature and colored at another temperature. This makes them suitable for use in liquid crystal displays,