A polymer is a large molecule made up of chains or rings of linked repeating subunits, which are

called monomers. Polymers usually have high melting and boiling points. Because the molecules
consist of many monomers, polymers tend to have high molecular masses.

The word polymer comes from the Greek prefix poly-, which means "many," and the suffix -mer,
which means "parts." The word was coined by Swedish chemist Jons Jacob Berzelius (1779–1848) in
1833, although with a slightly different meaning from the modern definition. The modern
understanding of polymers as macromolecules was proposed by German organic chemist Hermann
Staudinger (1881–1965) in 1920.

Examples of Polymers

Polymers may be divided into two categories. Natural polymers (also called biopolymers) include silk,
rubber, cellulose, wool, amber, keratin, collagen, starch, DNA, and shellac. Biopolymers serve key
functions in organisms, acting as structural proteins, functional proteins, nucleic acids, structural
polysaccharides, and energy storage molecules.

Synthetic polymers are prepared by a chemical reaction, often in a lab. Examples of synthetic
polymers include PVC (polyvinyl chloride), polystyrene, synthetic rubber, silicone, polyethylene,
neoprene, and nylon. Synthetic polymers are used to make plastics, adhesives, paints, mechanical
parts, and many common objects.

Synthetic polymers may be grouped into two categories. Thermoset plastics are made from a liquid
or soft solid substance that can be irreversibly changed into an insoluble polymer by curing using
heat or radiation. Thermoset plastics tend to be rigid and have high molecular weights. The plastic
stays out of shape when deformed and typically decompose before they melt. Examples of
thermoset plastics include epoxy, polyester, acrylic resins, polyurethanes, and vinyl esters. Bakelite,
Kevlar, and vulcanized rubber are also thermoset plastics.

Thermoplastic polymers or thermosoftening plastics are the other type of synthetic polymers. While
thermoset plastics are rigid, thermoplastic polymers are solid when cool, but are pliable and can be
molded above a certain temperature. While thermoset plastics form irreversible chemical bonds
when cured, the bonding in thermoplastics weakens with temperature. Unlike thermosets, which
decompose rather than melt, thermoplastics melt into a liquid upon heating. Examples of
thermoplastics include acrylic, nylon, Teflon, polypropylene, polycarbonate, ABS, and polyethylene.

Brief History of Polymer Development

Natural polymers have been used since ancient times, but mankind's ability to intentionally
synthesize polymers is a fairly recent development. The first man-made plastic was nitrocellulose.
The process to make it was devised in 1862 by British chemist Alexander Parkes (1812–1890). He
treated the natural polymer cellulose with nitric acid and a solvent. When nitrocellulose was treated
with camphor, it produced celluloid, a polymer widely used in the film industry and as a moldable
replacement for ivory. When nitrocellulose was dissolved in ether and alcohol, it became collodion.
This polymer was used as a surgical dressing, starting with the U.S. Civil War and afterward.

The vulcanization of rubber was another big achievement in polymer chemistry. German chemist
Friedrich Ludersdorf (1801–1886) and American inventor Nathaniel Hayward (1808–1865)
independently found adding sulfur to natural rubber helped keep it from becoming sticky. The
process of vulcanizing rubber by adding sulfur and applying heat was described by British engineer
Thomas Hancock (1786–1865) in 1843 (UK patent) and American chemist Charles Goodyear (1800–
1860) in 1844.

While scientists and engineers could make polymers, it wasn't until 1922 that an explanation was
proposed for how they formed. Hermann Staudinger suggested covalent bonds held together long
chains of atoms. In addition to explaining how polymers work, Staudinger also proposed the name
macromolecules to describe polymers.