The relationship between plastics and human life With the rapid economic growth, plastics and our lives are more and more closely related. The crisis of food and drinking water, abnormal climate change, shortage of resources and energy and other issues are all tied to plastic. This paper will discuss the relationship and contribution of plastic to human life with you.
Coping with population growth
One of the most familiar applications of plastic is that plastic can be used for food packaging to keep food fresh and extend its shelf life. At the same time, plastic packaging can protect food from damage during transportation. On the other hand, the application of plastics can help us to increase crop yield. For example, the application of plastic greenhouses can ensure that crops grow on land that may be too dry, cold or barren. The new light selective film can filter part of the light according to the wavelength to optimize crop growth. The digital irrigation system of plastic pipes can realize the quantitative water supply in the roots of plants and achieve efficient utilization. The old pipeline system using traditional materials causes a lot of drinking water loss, while the plastic pipe will not leak and will not deteriorate. They can also protect the water quality and prevent impurities in the soil or other sewage from entering. Plastic pipes used in sewage system can reduce the pollution of sewage to groundwater resources.
Plastics are also of great significance in helping mankind cope with the problems brought about by the aging society. Today, the plastic industry's contribution to the elderly mainly lies in health. In the future, there will be more products to help the elderly solve the difficulties they face in life. For example, plastic can help the elderly to solve problems caused by various geriatrics, such as mobility difficulties, arthritis and organ aging. All kinds of products convenient for the elderly, including ease of use, lightweight and other features, rely on the application of plastic. In the field of high technology, plastics will play an important role in robots, which can help us take care of the elderly or patients at home.
Dealing with the shortage of resources and energy
Energy shortage is one of the major challenges facing the world. Plastics can help mankind cope with the increasingly severe energy crisis in three aspects: improving the energy efficiency of homes and workplaces; Facilitate the utilization of more petrochemical resources; Support the development of new energy sources. Without plastics, the current oil and gas resources might not be the same at all. For example, polymers can be used to improve the viscosity of heavy oil to make it easy to extract, while water-soluble plastics have been used in the exploitation of existing resources for decades. In order to alleviate the tight supply of petrochemical resources, alternative renewable energy needs to be developed. Plastics play an important role in wind energy, solar energy, geothermal energy, hydrogen energy and other fields. For example, some key parts of industrial wind energy devices use high-strength, lightweight and durable plastics. The blades of offshore wind power are also made of non corrosive plastics. The polymer hydrogen fuel cell being developed by scientists will have no greenhouse gas emissions at all, and the safety of hydrogen transportation and storage may depend on the application of new polymer materials.
Addressing climate change
One of the main factors producing greenhouse gases is the burning of fossil fuels. By using plastics, industrial and household petrochemical fuels can be reduced. The use of efficient thermal insulation materials in buildings, pipelines and industrial facilities can significantly reduce fuel consumption. In the whole life cycle, the energy saved by plastic insulation materials is 150 times as much as the fuel consumed in manufacturing them. Another important significance is to reduce transport energy consumption, including the significant energy saving effect brought by lightweight vehicles and aircraft. For example, the Boeing 787 uses almost half of the plastic composite material, which is lighter and more durable than aluminum. Compared with traditional aircraft, its fuel demand is also reduced by 20%. Improve the driving performance of the car on the road. For example, reducing the friction between the tire and the road can reduce energy consumption, which can be achieved through rubber plastic blending.
For various climate anomalies that have occurred, plastics can also help people cope with the impact of extreme weather and floods. Advanced plastic composite materials are used for buildings in seismic zones, which can be more earthquake resistant. It can also be used to prevent storm attacks. Plastic is also an important part of disaster relief in flood disasters, including temporary hospitals, tents, boats, waterproof clothing, food packaging, and water and energy transportation and storage systems.
Health and medicine
The longer people live, the stronger their dependence on plastics to ensure our health. The safety of a large number of our food and drugs depends on plastic. A large number of medical equipment, containers and disinfection materials are also sterilized with plastic for protection. At present, plastic is the most important contribution to human health, and the following two points are particularly worth mentioning: convenient diagnosis and care, bionics makes everything more efficient. For example, the treatment of HIV can use carbon nanotubes made of plastic to directly block HIV in human cells. Although it is still in the initial stage, it is possible to finally achieve a new method of virus processing.
Plastic is also the core element of modern bionic devices, which can provide comfort, flexibility, movement and life like appearance. It is safe, hygienic and has excellent biocompatibility with human body. In recent years, artificial joints, artificial muscles, artificial organs and artificial blood have all played an important role in protecting human health, and the application of plastics is the key technology. For example, artificial blood has been developed and can be used as a substitute in emergency situations. It has the advantage of long distance. It is easy to transport, does not need refrigeration, and can be stored longer than natural blood. And contribution?
