2005 | Polycond project established to look at the potential of conductive polymers |
2008 | Airbus 380, comprising 22% carbon-fibre reinforced plastics flies into Heathrow |
2009 | Boeing 787 (nicknames 'Boeing's Plastic Dream') comes into service, its skin is made up of 100% Plastic composites with plastic making up 50% of all materials in the plane. |
2010 + - Plastics fit for the Future | Bullet Proof Polymer - Scientists at Rice University, Texas have created a new super polymer material that can stop a 9mm bullet and seal the hole behind it |
Plastics Blood - Developed by the University of Sheffield to mimic haemoglobin, for use in trauma situations where blood is needed quickly | |
Plastic Solar Cells - A polymer solar cell that can produce electricity from sunlight by the photovoltaic effect provides a lightweight, disposable and inexpensive alternative to traditional solar panels | |
Implantable Polymers - Medical grade and implantable biomaterials such as PEEK will be used in neurological applications to help control epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease and brain trauma |