American Technology: Plastic

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Object History Paper: Plastic Plastic is one of the most unique inventions of the late 19th century. The creation of plastic has helped create thousands of new products, revolutionized the invention process, and helped make existing inventions cheaper, simpler and more effective. Plastic is a word that originally meant “pliable and easily shaped.” More recently it has been the general name assigned to a group of synthetic polymers. Plastic is produced in two main processes. Originally it was made from natural plant based substances called cellulose. It is now more commonly refined from petroleum and fossil fuels. Plastic is unique in its ability to be customized into any variety of shapes and designs. It can be manufactured into a rigid material strong enough to be used in vehicles and safety equipment or flexible enough to be worn as clothing. Also, Plastic has the ability to be molded in a variety of textures or colors dependent on the application. The impact of plastic was so monumental because it was the first manufactured material that could easily replace natural resources like would, iron, animal products, and glass. John Wesley Hyatt invented the first proto type of plastic in 1829. Leo Baekland would later refine this invention in 1907 when he produced the first fully synthetic plastic. Before plastic was invented there had to be a need for such a unique product. The New York Times created this need in 1867 when they published an article detailing the possible extinction of Elephants. Ivory was a common household item in the 19th century and was used to make many products. One of the most popular items made from ivory were the balls used in billiards. As the games popularity rose so did the demand for ivory. The New York Times article warned against the harm and possible extinction elephants faced from the ivory trade. The cost of ivory billiard balls

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