When fuels are extracted from petrochemicals, there are additional extracts too. These may be processed to create plastic resins, the origin of plastic. Technically, many monomers unite to form the ‘polymer’ and so there is an attachment of different atoms. This leads to the flexibility and invincible nature of plastics. Polymer atoms have a tendency to create long chains.

It came into existence along with many accidental inventions. When Charles Goodyear mixed a substance with rubber and left it in lather water, he found to his surprise that it has hardened in course of time. Unknowingly, he had vulcanized rubber. The same happened to the person who cut the latex bark and founds a gluey thing seeping out. That was rubber.

So the plant cells, once they were discovered, gave rise to cellulose and many organic compounds began to be formed out of it. Cellulose acetate is one such example, a very popular form of plastic. Alexandar Parkes accidentally mixed it with camphor and alcohol and the plastic was formed. The flexible nature of plastic allowed many experiments and it was synthesized with many items to create different successes. Most of them were rank successful, and have stood the test of time.

Vinyl, oil, silicone are the other sources of plastic. They just have to be annealed and cooled to create the extensive polymer. The process is called thermosetting and heat plays a big part.