The Crest of the Wave — and the Trough

Abstract

In the first decade after their discovery, the stereoregular polymers were hailed as materials of great promise, and in the second decade they fulfilled that promise. In this narrative, detailed statistics are out of place and would be out of date when printed; however, we may at least note that by 1975 over sixty plants had been built by some fifty different companies to produce such polymers in a dozen different countries. Today the polyolefins (including the original member, high-pressure polyethylene) have achieved dominance among synthetic plastics. Their production volume is far greater than that of any other class, and the total even exceeds the combined total of all other plastics.

If I had all truth in my hands, I would be careful not to open them. −Fontenelle