Abstract
As consumption and use increased, the accumulation of urban waste of polymeric origin drew the attention of several sectors, especially that of the organized civil society. Through mobilizations and activism, environmental became more restricted regarding the use and disposal of polymer materials. Plastic bags, tires, disposable cups, plastic straws, PET bottles are some examples of how polymers have had a negative impact to the environment generating pressures around the world to rethink their uses. However, the pandemic crisis that emerged in January, 2020 has reinforced the importance of polymers for contemporary society. If, in the past, consumerism was the driving force behind the application of polymers, nowadays health and medical emergencies are the new forces. The reduction in stocks of medical-hospital supplies and personal protective equipment for health professionals and for the general public caused by the pandemic led to the emergence of alternative production movements based on polymers. Because of those alternatives, which have helped a lot to save and preserve lives, the present work aims to highlight the types of polymers most used during this pandemic period. For this purpose, scientific articles related to the production of masks and other devices having some type of polymer as raw material were analyzed. The present research was based on the first half of 2020, highlighting the countries, the polymer used, and the final product it is intended to.
Highlights
The importance of Chemistry in everyday life has been observed for a long time
The present work is based on a survey of types of polymers used in three devices, the demand of which increased in the present pandemic crisis: disposable masks, face shields, and swabs
Due to the scarcity of Protective Equipment (PPE), especially masks (UNICEF, 2020) – which were previously mandatory for health professionals, and indispensable items to the rest of the population as a primary means to contain the advance of the virus – initiatives are being taken to produce this equipment from alternative materials
Summary
The importance of Chemistry in everyday life has been observed for a long time now. Many are the cases – even emblematic – in which this branch of Science has greatly contributed to our well-being. Since the manipulation of radioactive elements by the Curie couple (Curie, 1903) till the development of rubber formulations by Goodyear (Korman, 2002) – which would later be used for tire manufacturing – through the development of catalysts used in polymerization by professors Ziegler and Natta (Boor, 1979), Chemistry has always been present In all those examples, it has left its mark: that of a Science capable of transforming the world. The Japanese government raised investments in mask companies, guaranteeing a supply of more than 600 million masks per month (Park et al, 2020) As if those initiatives were not enough, organizations whose business area is not centered on the production of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) have directed their industrial plants to manufacture masks and other hospital medical equipment. As Dargaville et al (2020) well pointed out, the current moment requires coordinated action among doctors, physiotherapists, materials engineers, and the industrial sector to rethink ways of production from already available supplies
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