DPI, the collaboration platform for industry-driven research in the field of polymers, is pleased to announce the publication of The Plastics Revolution: How the Netherlands Became a Global Player in Plastics. The first instalment was published two months ago, on 13 July. The book provides a historical overview of the invention and further development of plastics during the past hundred years and the important role Dutch science and industry have played in the process. It shows how plastics, an entirely new category of materials, have had a profound impact on human life. This second instalment covers the post-World War II years between 1945 and 1970 and discusses how the Netherlands managed to secure a place among the world leaders in plastics technology. The book is written by a team of three authors led by Professor Harry Lintsen of the Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands. The other two authors are Dr. Marijn Hollestelle (Foundation for the History of Technology) and Dr. Rick Hölsgens (Technischen Universität Dortmund). The Plastics Revolution is an initiative of DPI and is published under the auspices of the Foundation for the History of Technology (SHT) in the Netherlands.
As a key enabler of industry-driven collaborative research in polymer science and technology for the past two decades, DPI is proud to be the initiator of this book project. The history of the invention of plastics and their subsequent development in academia and industry as well as their widespread use in practice present a fascinating story, which lies at the heart of The Plastics Revolution. The book shows that polymer science and the plastic materials resulting from it have played a crucial role in shaping modern life. Besides highlighting the benefits that plastics have brought to the world, it also directs our attention to the challenges that these same materials pose to society and the natural environment today. DPI believes that we can learn from history and hopes that The Plastics Revolution will help readers to view plastics in a broad and balanced perspective.
The book is initially being published online in four instalments:
· July 2017 – Foreword and Prologue
· September 2017 – Part I: The First Plastics Revolution (1945-1970)
· October – Part II: Laying the Foundations for the Second Plastics Revolution (1970-2015)
· November – Epilogue: The Second Plastics Revolution
Each instalment includes a short introduction by an academic or industrial expert, as well as a contents page providing a full overview of the topics covered in the book. The digital instalments are accessible via the websites of DPI (www.polymers.nl) and SHT (www.histech.nl).
A complete, printed edition (ISBN: 978-90-73192-48-5) will be published in November 2017. The official presentation of the book is planned to take place at a special event on 8 November 2017, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of DPI. The printed edition is available for pre-order from DPI (www.polymers.nl).
Introduction by Prof. em. Challa