Brief History of Plastics
In 1893, a man named Charles Goodyear found natural rubber. Polystyrene then appeared and become recognized by the year 1938. Polyamide came out in 1939, PP in 1941, and LCP in 1985. In 1978, PEEK came into the market and 5 years later PEI (also called Ultem) was first made by GE.
In these years, thousands of types of resins were developed for sale. Among these types, thermoplastics, thermo-settings, and elastomers are only a drop in the ocean.
How to choose the proper plastic in your products? Your knowledge in the school and your experience from plain work may still be helpless for many designers and engineers.