plastics are not new materials there is old his grandfather's handlebar mustache remember the high cellulite collars they used to wear while a were plastic the beauty of them being that they never had to be sent to the laundry but even those cellulite could be cleaned with the most handkerchief granddad soon found out that it was a pain in the neck and dangerous many modern plastics however are fire resistant one of the numerous improvements science is made in plastic articles plastics come from many different raw materials some of the materials are natural elements like water and air some are growing things like corn and potatoes others are minerals such as oil coal and limestone from these various raw materials chemists derive many different chemicals which when combined properly work from plastics now suppose you could look inside one of these chemicals you would find that like everything else it is made up of billions of tiny particles called molecules molecules are so small that even with help of the most powerful microscope we cannot see them but let's suppose they looked like on the nations  those building blocks with which every child is so familiar by joining blocks together in different combinations we have different kinds of molecules each combination forming a pattern which is characteristic of a different material rather for example as one pattern solves another and so on one scientists start to make a plastic they select those chemicals that have the patterns they need and mix them now when two different molecules come together in the right way a very interesting thing happens some pieces are attracted to others more than to the ones to which they are attached so they separate join the ones that attract them and move off to follow their own devices those that are left to get together to this may keep on until there are a whole lot of them linked together like a chain millions of these chains are formed in the chemical next year and because the molecules are different from the ones with which the plastic chemists started a new material is born the new material actually looks like this it's called a resin and in each particle of it there are millions of those tiny new molecules in making a plastic article or resin is heated and molded in something like a waffle iron after pressing and heating in the mold the resin is allowed to cool of course if a waffle iron were used you'd get a plastic waffle if there was a were made from a resident in which the molecules were linked together like a chain it could be softened again and then put into another mode to me it into another sha and there you are a different shaped waffles from the same material but scientists discovered something else they used a type of resin in which chains of molecules became linked with one another like this they got a different kind of plastic with more and more heat more and more links appeared between the chains these acted as braces or tie rods making the chains rigid and inseparable you can soften and remold anything made from this kind of resin once it is set it is set for good this is called a thermo setting plastic like your telephone receiver or an ashtray for example heat won't affect it frequently and making plastic articles a material called a filler is mixed with the resin there's filler maybe chalk reg's walnut shells or one of many things that filler makes the molten product much stronger the desired qualities of the product of course determine the kind of resin that should be used from the resin in which the molecules are in separate chains a number of beautiful and useful things are made some bright with color some crystal clear from the resin in which the chains of molecules are rigidly linked together come those articles which need greater strength and are likely to be subjected to  pressed between sheets of paper cloth or wood this type of plastic makes the gears but turn the wheels in factories and in automobiles or such household articles as cigarette proof tabletops it was indeed lucky for us that the manner of plastics had labored so long and well for suddenly we found ourselves at war faced with a critical metal shortage and un president of production demands  manufacturers immediately turn to plastics for assistance and the kingdom of plastics responded with remarkable speed and ingenuity pressed in new moe's plastics took on countless new shapes and sizes providing a wide variety of essential parts for every type of military equipment on a seventy five millimeter gun there are a number of things dozens are used in a modern tank several hundred to apply and some of our fighting eagles thousands of plastic pieces of equipment to sail in each ship of the line equipment ranging from motor fuses to ship telephones from antenna housings to switch gear produced with greater speed and economy but bringing new strength and deficiency to almost every allied weapon but out of the flames of battle the promise of a new day plastics take their rightful place in a world of peace a world dedicated to a richer fuller life for all in transportation plastics play a role of ever increasing importance lending their unique qualities to body construction and more and more of the mechanical parts certainly there will be more lightweight accessories more handsome trim than interior refinements in tomorrow's cars trains and planes the future will bring plastic fabrics won resistant to wear rankles and stains even the hazards of washing shoes mark glamorous than cinderella's but that's not all there will be furniture combining strength with lightness comfort with i appeal homes through art will be bright with color economically but beautifully appointed with many contributions of the kingdom of plastics designed for practical gracious living yes this is a dream of the future yet out of such dreams as come all that we call progress so in the years ahead dreams like this and many more will become reality