Materials are the cornerstone of civilization, and polymer materials, as a core support, have gone through seven distinct stages alongside human technological progress. From ancient times to 1838, the period of natural polymer utilization saw humans directly processing materials like natural rubber and cellulose. Starting in 1839, synthetic polymers emerged, with modified materials such as vulcanized rubber and celluloid initiating active innovation. In 1920, German chemist Staudinger proposed the polymer theory, laying the theoretical foundation and promoting the systematization of material systems.
    After 1940, petrochemical industry drove the explosive growth of general-purpose polymers, with engineering plastics penetrating various sectors. Since 1970, high-performance materials have differentiated toward extreme environment resistance, meeting the needs of aerospace. Since 1990, green sustainability and intelligent response have become mainstream, with bio-based materials and self-healing polymers emerging one after another. Today, facing carbon neutrality and deep space exploration, cutting-edge materials like fully bio-based degradable polymers and bionic electronic skin are in the exploration stage. From natural utilization to molecular design, the evolution of polymer materials has always kept pace with the needs of the times, and will empower more emerging fields in the future.

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