Getting it together

摘要

It is well recognised that synthetic polymers have an enormous and ever-increasing impact on our lives. In order to allow the manufacture of a wide range of useful goods, the technologies that use synthetic polymers place highly specific demands on the materials providers. The range of products is enormously diverse. It includes, for example, furnishings, clothing, transportation, kitchenware, sports goods, electrical and electronic equipment, packaging, drug delivery systems and replacement body parts. Simple organic homopolymers can provide only a limited range of properties and functions and, in order to respond to the demand for very specific properties, the suppliers have developed various strategies.