I've got one word for you: "plastics"

I just wondered if someone with knowledge of science could tell me whether plastic is an entirely artificial substance? Is there any evidence of plastic being manufactured by natural processes in the natural world without the intervention of humans?

 

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In my experience synthetic seems to be implicit in the definition of plastic. Although as Shaggie alluded to in some cases there is little different between what some people class as a plastic and a regular polymer, natural rubber being the obvious example. I also think that some plastics are pretty closely related to cellulose.

 

Oh OK. I thought plastics were a heavily humanised process. I didnt think of rubber because these days its rare to see actual natural rubber. I believe even that is synthesised these days.
What, for example, is my telephone made of?
I sort of had that kind of plastic in mind and knowing next to nothing about plastic except it is not usually found in nature I just wondered, why? what do people do to make the raw plastic for a telephone that cannot be done by nature?

 

Oh OK. I thought plastics were a heavily humanised process. I didnt think of rubber because these days its rare to see actual natural rubber. I believe even that is synthesised these days.
What, for example, is my telephone made of?
I sort of had that kind of plastic in mind and knowing next to nothing about plastic except it is not usually found in nature I just wondered, why? what do people do to make the raw plastic for a telephone that cannot be done by nature?

I would normally google it but I dont know what terms to use

 

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cheers thanks for those words for plastic I will have a look into that.

 

The first early plastic materials were made from a natural cellulose base(mid to late 1800's). There are still some other things made out of it, ping pong balls, photographic film base material, etc but most plastics used today are synthetic.

Also I think there is some way to make a plastic like substance out of heating potatoes at a high heat, which I had happen by accident one time.

 

Polymers do exist in nature. The most common natrually occuring polymers by my reconing would be proteins. One example of where the proteins are assembled into a plastic would be in a spiders web.

Matt

 

excellent stuff, barefoot surfer. I never thought of that