This is a timeline of the development of plastics, comprising key discoveries and developments in the production of plastics.
| Year | Event | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1600 BCE | Mesoamericans used natural rubber for balls, and figurines. | [1] |
| 1000 BCE | First written evidence of Shellac. | |
| Middle Ages | Europeans used treated cow horns as translucent material for windows. Japanese and Chinese use ox horns for the same purpose, as well as for shades of oil lamps. | |
| Year | Event | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1839 | Eduard Simon, a German apothecary, discovers polystyrene | [2] |
| 1844 | Thomas Hancock patents the vulcanization of rubber in Britain immediately followed by Charles Goodyear in United States. | [3] |
| 1856 | Parkesine, the first member of the Celluloid class of compounds and considered the first man-made plastic, is patented by Alexander Parkes. | [4] |
| 1869 | John Wesley Hyatt discovers a method to simplify the production of celluloid, making industrial production possible. | |
| 1872 | PVC was accidentally synthesized in 1872 by German chemist Eugen Baumann. | [5] |
| 1889 | Eastman Kodak successfully filed a patent for the celluloid film | [6] |
| 1890s | Galalith, a plastic derived from casein developed by Wilhelm Krische and Adolph Spitteler. | [7] |
| 1890s | Auguste Trillat discovered the means to insolubilize casein by immersion in formaldehyde, producing material marketed as galalith. | |
| 1894 | Shellac phonograph records are developed and soon become an industry standard. | |
| 1898 | Polyethylene was first synthesized by the German chemist Hans von Pechmann while investigating diazomethane. | [8] |
| Year | Event | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1907 | Bakelite, the first fully synthetic thermoset, was reported by Leo Baekeland using phenol and formaldehyde. | |
| 1912 | After over 10 years research, Jacques E. Brandenberger develops a method for producing cellophane and secures a patent. | [9] |
| 1926 | Waldo Semon and the B.F. Goodrich Company developed a method to plasticize PVC by blending it with various additives. | |
| 1930 | Neoprene produced for the first time at DuPont | |
| 1930s | ||
| 1931 | RCA Victor introduced their vinyl-based Victrolac compound for records. Vinyl records have twice the groove density of shellac records with good sound quality. | |
| 1933 | The first industrially practical polyethylene synthesis discovered by Eric Fawcett and Reginald Gibson at the Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) works in Northwich, England. | [10] |
| 1935 | Nylon is invented and patented by DuPont | |
| 1938 | Nylon is first used for bristles in toothbrushes. It features at the 1939 worlds fair and is famously used in stockings in 1940 | |
| 1938 | Polytetrafluoroethylene (commonly known as teflon), discovered by Roy Plunkett at DuPont. | |
| 1941 | Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is discovered at the Calico Printers' Association in Britain. Expanded polystyrene first produced | |
| 1950 | DuPont begin the manufacture of polyester. | |
| 1951 | ||
| 1953 | ||
| 1954 | Polypropylene was discovered by Giulio Natta with production starting in 1957 | |
| 1954 | Expanded polystyrene, used for building insulation, packaging, and cup, was invented by Dow Chemical. | |
| 1957 | Italian firm Montecatini begin large-scale commercial production of isotactic polypropylene. | |
| 1960s | High-density polyethylene bottles introduced and soon replace glass bottles in most applications | [11] |
| 1965 | ||
| 1980s | Polyester film stock replaces cellulose acetate for photographic film and computer tapes. | |
| 1988 | First polymer bank notes issued in Australia | |