Atlas of Polymers

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Molecule LookupDraw and measure any small moleculeProperty PredictorFour models, from structure aloneCompare PolymersUp to three, side by side

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About

About the AtlasWhat this is, and how to get in touch

The Timeline

96 entries along one line of time, 1833 → 2020+

Decoding Nature's Legacy

1833–1902
1833
Natural GumsThe First Chapter in Humanity's Polymer Story
1834
StarchNature's Energy Reservoir
1835
CelluloseNature's Master Builder
1836
Natural Rubber (NR)The Resilient Material That Shaped Modern Society
1839
Vulcanized Natural Rubber (VNR)Goodyear's Sticky Path to Success
1840
ProteinsLife's Building Blocks
1846
Nitrocellulose (CN)An Explosive Photo
1851
Ebonite (Vulcanite)The Black Gold
1869
CelluloidThe Artificial Ivory
1875
LigninWood's Secret Glue
1881
AlginateThe Gel from the Sea
1882
KeratinThe Protein That Armors Life
1883
Viscose RayonNature's Makeover Artist
1884
ChitinThe Forgotten Champion of Natural Polymers
1902
Glucose and SucroseSweet molecules!

The Birth of Synthetic Polymers

1907–1938
1907
BakeliteThe Material of a Thousand Uses
1908
Cellulose XanthateThe Golden Revolution in Textile History
1912
CellophaneTransparent Revolution
1913
Polyvinyl Acetate (PVAc)Adhesive That Bound the Modern World
1915
Polybutadiene (BR)The Synthetic Rubber That Bounced Through History
1916
Polyisoprene (IR)Nature's Bouncing Wonder
1920
The Revolution of Macromolecular Theory.concept
1924
Melamine & Urea Formaldehyde (M/UF)Unsung Heroes of Polymer World
1927
Alkyd ResinsThe Polymer That Painted the Twentieth Century
1929
Polyacrylic Acid (PAA)The Love Affair with Water
1930
Polyacrylonitrile (PAN)The Fiber That Became the Skeleton of Flight
1931
Polychloroprene (CR)The Rubber That Defied the Great Depression
1932
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)The Accidental Revolution
1933
Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA)The Crystal-Clear RevolutionPolystyrene (PS)The Versatile Veteran of the Polymer WorldPolyvinylidene Chloride (PVDC)The Wrap That Wouldn't Wash Off
1935
Polyethylene (PE)The Accidental Wonder That Changed Our World
1936
The Carothers EquationWhen Polymers Cross the Lineconcept
1937
Polyurethane (PUR)The Polymer That Dreams Are Made Of
1938
Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)A Slippery Discovery

The Wartime Innovation Period

1939–1945
1939
Nylon (PA66)The Synthetic Fiber That Revolutionized Fashion and Industry
1940
From Random Walks to Universal Laws in Polymer Scienceconcept
1941
Styrene-Acrylonitrile (SAN)The Clear, Tough Cousin That Paved the Way
1942
Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)The Bottle Revolution
1943
The Silicon (Si) RevolutionFrom Sand to Space SuitsUnsaturated Polyester (UP)a Fiberglass Revolution
1944
Acrylonitrile Butadiene Rubber (NBR)The Oil-Resistant WonderPolyethylene Glycol (PEG)Stealth Polymer That Revolutionized Medicine

The Post-War Boom

1946–1960
1946
Epoxy ResinThe Molecular Glue
1947
Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)The Piezoelectric Performer
1948
Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS)The Plastic That Built Our World
1950
Configuration vs. ConformationArchitecture of Moleculesconcept
1953
DNA and RNANature's Information Architectsconcept
1954
Polypropylene (PP)The Plastic That Bent the Rules
1955
Polyisopropylacrylamide (PNIPAM)
1956
Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate (EVA)The Polymer That Cushioned the WorldPolyacetal (POM)Revolutionizing Precision
1958
Polycarbonate (PC)The Transparent!
1959
Styrene Butadiene Rubber (SBR)The Rubber That Kept the World Rolling
1960
Polyisobutylene (PIB)The Invisible Guardian of Modern Glass
1961
HydrogelsThe Polymers That Learned to Hold Water

The Engineering Polymers Era

1961–1979
1961
ChitosanNature's Armor Turned Medical Marvel
1964
Polyimide (PI)The Golden Guardian of the Space Age
1965
Polyether Ether Ketone (PEEK)A Marvel Soars Above the Rest
1966
Polyphenylene Oxide (PPO)The Heat-Defying Polymer
1967
Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU)The Chameleon Polymer
1968
Polybutylene Terephthalate (PBT)The Electric InsulatorThe UCST/LCST ConceptWhen Polymers Choose to Mix or Partconcept
1969
Styrene-Ethylene-Butylene-Styrene (SEBS)The Molecular Bridge Builder
1970
Polybutylene (PB-1)The Rise and Fall of a Promising Polymer
1971
Aramid Fibers (Kevlar)Bulletproof
1973
Polyphenylene Sulfide (PPS)The Spoon Slayer!
1974
Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCPs)Dance
1975
Polyetherimide (PEI)The Amber Guardian of the Electronics Age
1976
Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB)Nature's Plastic FactoryPolysulfone (PSU) & Polyethersulfone (PES)Medical Guardians
1977
Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA)The Dissolving Wonder
1978
Polyamideimide (PAI)The Polymer That Rewired Electronics

The Specialty Polymers Age

1980–1999
1982
Polylactic Acid (PLA)Nature's Answer to the Plastic Crisis
1983
Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPEs)When Rubber Learned to Recycle
1984
Polyether Block Amide (PEBA)The Flexible Friend
1985
Polycaprolactone (PCL)The Healing Helper
1986
Glass Transition Temperature (Tg)Challenger tragedyconcept
1987
Polyketones (PEKK & PAEK)Super-Polymers
1988
Polyethylene Naphthalate (PEN)The Barrier Breaker
1990
Polyglycolic Acid (PGA)Vanishing Suture
1992
Polybutylene Adipate Terephthalate (PBAT)Against Pollution
1993
Polybutylene Succinate (PBS)When Soil Became a Polymer's Best Friend
1996
Polybenzimidazole (PBI)No Burning
1997
Polyaniline (PANI)When Plastic Learned to Conduct Electricity

The Smart Materials Era

2000–2015
2000
Polythiophene (PT)Plastic that eats sunlight for breakfast
2001
Self-Healing PolymersThe Materials That Mend Themselves
2002
Cyclic Olefin Copolymer (COC)The Ultimate Transparent
2004
Shape Memory Polymers (SMPs)The Materials That Remember
2006
Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs)When Bacteria Became Polymer Engineers
2009
Conjugated Microporous Polymers (CMPs)Swiss Cheese
2012
Metal-Organic Framework Polymers (MOFs)Swiss Army Knife
2014
Recyclable ThermosetsThe Polymer That Finally Learned to Let Go
2015
VitrimersThe Wolverine of Polymers
2020
AI-Designed PolymersWhen Machines Learned to Build MoleculesQuantum Dot PolymersWhere Nano Meets Glow