Forerunners Theory and Production
of Gases Electrochemistry
and Electrochemical
Industries The Path to the
Periodic Table Atomic and Nuclear
Structure Chemical Synthesis,
Structure, and Bonding Pharmaceuticals
and the Path
to Biomolecules Petroleum and
Petrochemicals Plastics and Other Polymers Chemical Engineering:
Chemistry Scales Up
for Industry Human and Natural Environmental Concerns

Understanding how to make small molecules polymerize into long-chain hydrocarbons to form plastics and other synthetics was closely related to the efforts of chemists and engineers to break down and utilize fragments of the long-chain hydrocarbons in petroleum. Scientists active in the area of petrochemicals have shared their knowledge of catalysts and increased the variety and quantity of chemicals usable in polymerization processes that create all sorts of synthetic materials.