PET, as the Polyethylene terephthalate polymer is known, arrived to revolutionize the world of fabrics and packaging. It appeared after World War II and is being used more every day. See the history of this polymer:
PET was discovered in 1941 by chemists Rex Whinfield and James Dickson. While working with ethylene glycol, Rex and James noticed the appearance of a sticky material that when stretched, it gave rise to long and resistant fibers, it was an ester capable of forming polymer chains (polymers). Due to this composition, it was defined as polyester.
Polyester is still used today to make fabrics that do not wrinkle, perhaps because of this advantage it has been on the market for so long. In recent years, it has been used in the manufacture of disposable bottles, and received the nomenclature PET, this is the proper definition for packaging composed of polyesters. With the advantages of being easily handled and transported, PET becomes another practicality of the century XXI that arrived to replace the glass (heavy and fragile).
Danger to the environment:
The inappropriate use and disposal of PET, as it is not biodegradable, turned it into a villain for nature. We can prove this by observing the amount of these packages released daily on highways, riversides and in urban places. The only solution to this big problem is recycling, selective collection is very important in this case, through from it the plastics are selected for subsequent transfer to the special treatment that allows them to be reused again.
Do not stop now... There's more after the advertising ;)
By Líria Alves
Graduated in Chemistry
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
SOUZA, Líria Alves de. "PET: plastic of the moment"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/quimica/pet-plastico-momento.htm. Accessed on June 27, 2021.
