Polymer Science and Technology: A Status Report

Polymers are very important and used in homes, cars, offices, and hospitals-almost everywhere, in fact. Without them, modern life would be very difficult if not impossible. This paper describes the current status of polymer science and technology. Future trends and prospects in polymer materials are also elaborated. The question of alternative raw material resources is addressed. The rapid growth of polymer materials in the past resulted from innovative ideas and the dedication of many chemists and engineers. Current problems are availability and high cost of petroleum raw materials and energy, increased labor costs, increased processing costs, environmental regulations, an overwhelming emphasis on short-range application research with the goal of almost immediate marketability, and cutbacks in fundamental and exploratory research. These trends, unless reversed, do not auger well for continued growth of polymers at anything approaching the 1945-1975 rate.