Clothing and Shelters Polymeric Material

Today, polymeric materials are used in nearly all areas of daily life that it is right to claim that we live in a polymer age. The evidence is all around us. Polymers are used in shelter, clothing, health, food, transportation, and almost every facet of our lives. In fact, it is hard to imagine what the world would be like without S3mthetic polymers. Production and fabrication of polymers are major worldwide industries. The data presented in Tables 14.1 to 14.8 indicate the size of the polymers marketplace in the 1992 to 2002 decade [1]. 

Likewise, the human use of polymeric materials also has a long history. In fact, many of the original materials used by mankind were polymers derived from nature, such as wood, flax, cotton, wool and animal skins, which were used for shelter and clothing. 

Natural polymeric fibres have (literally) supported the development of human civilisation since its prehistoric beginnings. A particularly prominent role has been played by cellulose, a polysaccharide which is one of the world s most abundant and versatile fibrous polymers. Cellulose fibres are the reinforcing component of wood, a natural composite that can be fashioned into devices used for shelter, transportation, agriculture, war, communication, ornament and recreation. Cellulose fibres have been woven into clothing, twisted into ropes and bowstrings, and processed into papyrus and paper. Fibrous proteins, especially keratin (wool, mohair), collagen (hide, parchment, catgut) and silk also have a rich history and an assured future as useful materials. 

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