ABSTRACT
Polymers have existed in natural form since life began, and those such as DNA, RNA, proteins and polysaccharides play crucial roles in plant and animal life. From the earliest times, man has exploited naturally-occurring polymers as materials for providing clothing, decoration, shelter, tools, weapons, writing materials and other requirements. However, the origins of today’s polymer industry commonly are accepted as being in the nineteenth century when important discoveries were made concerning the modification of certain natural polymers.
