Origin and Synthesis of Plastics Materials

Year Published: 1945

Creator: United States. Office of Education.

Complete Record: United States Office of Education Training Film. Narrated. Plastic products. How plastic is made. Nature shots and agricultural shots. Corn being harvested. Men cut the bark off trees. Animation of tree and roots system, photosynthesis and creation of oxygen. Animated diagram of cellulose fibers and natural resins within trees. Loggers/lumberjacks chop down large trees. Tree is shown being processed at the wood mill before being turned into a radio. CU of wooden radio. CU of plastic radio. Animated diagram of cellulose fibers and synthetic resins found within plastics. Diagram of coal, air and water used to make plastic. Animation shows coal being heated and combined with phenol and other elements. Shows by-products of carbon monoxide and hydrogen that produce formaldehyde when combined. Phenol and formaldehyde are combined to make phenolic plastic resin. WS of commercial factory and warehouse where plastic is made. MS of chemistry equipment and the hands of the chemist/scientist combining elements in beakers to produce plastic. Molten plastic is poured into molds to create radios and other products. Animation of coal, benzine, natural gas, ethylene, styrene, polystyrene (styrofoam). Animation of spinning drill. Man melts a sheet of plastic over a bunsen burner. CU on breakfast of waffles. CU on dripping candle wax. Other animations showing the products and elements that are combined to make various kinds of plastics. CU on tools and equipment. Cogs and machine parts come off an assembly line, household products made with plastic. Women working at old telephone switchboard. Classic cars driving on freeway, airplane in the sky, train coming out of a tunnel.