Sebastian Koltzenburg Michael Maskos - Polymer Chemistry

Glass fiber reinforced plastics can have tensile strengths that rival, e.g., steel, whereas other polymers such as polyurethane foams can be used as soft cushions or mattresses.

Most plastics are electrical insulators, but highly conjugated polymers have also been synthesized with specific conductivities of the same order of magnitude of those of highly conductive metals (Naarmann and Theophilou ).

The density of porous polymeric materials can be varied across a very wide range. In particular, from polymer foams such as Styrofoam, extremely lightweight articles can be produced.

The melting point of polymers can also be greatly modified by varying the macromolecular architecture. Some polymers can be physically described as highly viscous melts even at room temperature, whereas other polymers have melting points of several hundred degrees Celsius, and can be heated to red heat or sintered. Of course, the temperature range of the melting or softening point is critical for the temperature at which a material can be used or processed. On the one hand, a high melting point allows a high service temperature but requires a lot of energy to process the molten material into the final shape. For many materials in everyday life, which are only used at room temperature, a low melting point is an advantage because they can be processed much more resource-efficiently than materials with a high melting point. Here, too, the unrivaled variability that polymers offer is often a decisive and advantageous factor.

The electrical and electronics industries in their current form are difficult to envisage without polymers. This statement includes seemingly trivial applications such as the sheathing for electric cablesno other non-polymeric substance class provides materials that are both flexible and at the same time act as electrical insulators. Even in technically much more demanding applications, such as the manufacture of solar cells, LEDs, or integrated microchips, polymers play a crucial role, e.g., as etching masks, protective coatings, dielectrics, or fiber optics.

The modern automobile would also be unthinkable without polymers. All motor vehicles manufactured today are covered with a polymer layerthe so-called clearcoat . In addition, polymers, from which, for example, the tires, dashboard, seat cushions, and bumpers are constructed, make a major contribution to reducing the weight of the vehicle, thus limiting the fuel consumption.

The construction industry has also benefited enormously from this relatively young class of materials. Polymers in the form of insulating foams reduce the energy consumption of buildings, serve as conduits for water supply and sanitation, and provide a weather-resistant alternative to the use of exterior wood.

As packaging, polymers are now irreplaceable, especially for food packaging or as shock absorbing material for goods in transit.