Chemical reactions have been studied throughout history. Early uses of chemical reactions, such as how people learned to use fire, gradually led to the development of a more systematic study of elements, their properties, and their uses. You can see that the world has changed dramatically since those first experiments in chemistry. In fact, the more scientists learn about the chemical properties of matter, the more advances are made in the technologies that we take advantage of every day.

Chemical reactions are an integral part of technology and of life itself. Burning fuels, making glass and pottery, brewing beer, and making wine and cheese are among many examples of activities incorporating chemical reactions that have been known and used for thousands of years. There have also been many advances in technologies, and many of the things that we use today came from different chemical reactions.

Over the past 100 years, advances in chemistry have provided many consumer products that have helped to change our lives. One of the major changes in the past 100 years has been the development of synthetic fibres or threads. One hundred years ago, clothing was made from natural fibres such as cotton, flax, wool, and silk. Today, however, synthetic fibres are used in many of the items you wear every day. Synthetic fibres are man-made fibres, and most of them are prepared from raw material (petroleum) called petrochemicals.

synthetic fabric in clothing

Examples of synthetic fabrics include polyester, acrylic, nylon, rayon, acetate, spandex, latex, and Kevlar.

Figure 3:  Kevlar Vest. Courtesy Wikipedia

 
 

Another major change over the past 100 years has been the development of synthetic polymers. Polymers are a type of compound that occurs in nature. For example, the silk in spider webs and the sap from rubber trees are two natural polymers. During the past 75 years, chemists have made synthetic polymers in the laboratory. The great thing about synthetic polymers is that scientists can develop different ones with physical characteristics that meet a particular need. You know many of these synthetic polymers as types of plastic. 

 

Figure 4:  Plastic Waste.  Courtesy of Pixabay

 

 

Figure 5:  Stainless Steel utensils.  Courtesy of Pixabay

Have you ever wondered why stainless steel does not rust? In the past, cooking utensils were made of iron that eventually rusted. Modern kitchen utensils are made from several metals mixed to look like one metal. This type of mixture is an alloy. Alloys have properties of the original metals that make up the alloy.

Many of the products you use today — from cars to jewellery — are made from alloys. Cars made from steel in the early 1900s were very strong, but they were heavy and prone to rusting. The steel in today’s cars is mixed with chromium. This steel alloy has the strength and durability of iron, plus chromium’s resistance to rusting.

 

Figure 6:  Modern auto body.  Courtesy of Pixabay