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46: Polythene Pam

46: Polythene Pam

FromThe History of Chemistry


46: Polythene Pam

FromThe History of Chemistry

ratings:
Length:
22 minutes
Released:
Dec 31, 2022
Format:
Podcast episode

Description

Here we start with more polymers popularized in the 1920s through the 1940s and beyond: polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, invented by accident in 1835 by Henri Regnault but made practical by Waldo Semon nearly a century later; polyethylene (polythene), invented by Hans von Pechmann, but commercialized by the mid- to late 1930s by ICI employees Eric Fawcett and Reginald Gibson; high-density polyethylene by a three separate teams in the early 1950s, causing a patent problem; acrylic by Rowland Hill, John Crawford, and Otto Röhm in 1933. On the inorganic side of polymers, Albert Ladenburg found the first silicone in 1871 but didn't quite understand it. Better knowledge came with Paul Kipping 30 years later and James Hyde 30 years after that. We end with polystyrene and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Supporters of the podcast at Patreon can download a supplemental sheet to see the chemical structures of these materials.Support the show Support my podcast at https://www.patreon.com/thehistoryofchemistry Tell me how your life relates to chemistry! E-mail me at steve@historyofchem.com Get my book, O Mg! How Chemistry Came to Be, from World Scientific Publishing, https://www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/12670#t=aboutBook
Released:
Dec 31, 2022
Format:
Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

Chemistry is everywhere, and involves everything. But how did chemistry get to be what it is? I'm Steve Cohen, a chemist and writer, bringing you The History of Chemistry. This podcast explores the development of chemistry from prehistoric times to the present, including the people and societies who made chemistry what it is today. The History of Chemistry is for you, whether you hated chemistry in high school, or got a PhD in inorganic chemistry. We'll explore how chemistry affected art, music, language, politics and vice-versa. Whether it's ancient Greek philosophers, medieval alchemists, or modern laboratory apparatus, it's all here. Don't forget to support my series at https://www.patreon.com/thehistoryofchemistry !