Modern Polystyrene Production

Synthetic polymers are a fact of modern life. Bakelite, a phenolformal-dehyde resin, was introduced in 1907. Styrene was used in synthetic rubbers in the early 1900s, whereas polystyrene was commercially produced in Germany in about 1930 and in the United States in 1937. Polymers are used in nearly every facet of production and are ubiquitous in homes. Although the chemistry of polymerization is well defined, often analyses lag behind in sophistication. 

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