title: Applications and societal benefits of plastics.
abstract: This article explains the history, from 1600 BC to 2008, of materials that are today termed 'plastics'. It includes production volumes and current consumption patterns of five main commodity plastics: polypropylene, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene and polyethylene terephthalate. The use of additives to modify the properties of these plastics and any associated safety, in use, issues for the resulting polymeric materials are described. A comparison is made with the thermal and barrier properties of other materials to demonstrate the versatility of plastics. Societal benefits for health, safety, energy saving and material conservation are described, and the particular advantages of plastics in society are outlined. Concerns relating to littering and trends in recycling of plastics are also described. Finally, we give predictions for some of the potential applications of plastic over the next 20 years.
authors.affiliation: Research Triangle Institute, Durham, NC 27709, USA.
authors.forename: Anthony L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Andrady
authors.forename: Mike A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Neal
mesh_terms: D000965:Antimony / Q000633:toxicity; D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds; D001704:Biopolymers / Q000191:economics* / Q000266:history / Q000633:toxicity; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003257:Consumer Product Safety / Q000592:standards; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D008420:Manufactured Materials / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010636:Phenols / Q000633:toxicity; D010795:Phthalic Acids / Q000633:toxicity; D010969:Plastics / Q000191:economics* / Q000266:history / Q000633:toxicity; D019064:Product Packaging / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000098826:Bisphenol A Compounds
chemical_list: D000965:Antimony; D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds; D001704:Biopolymers; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D010636:Phenols; D010795:Phthalic Acids; D010969:Plastics; C032279:phthalic acid; C006780:bisphenol A; D000098826:Bisphenol A Compounds