Scientists have found a way to produce plastic on a large scale cheaply and quickly.

and a way to inexpensively and rapidly produce plastics at scale. Scientists hoped this economical new material would make items that once had been unaffordable accessible to more people. Instead, plastics were pushed into service in World War Two. During the war, plastic production in the United States quadrupled. Soldiers wore new plastic helmet liners and water-resistant vinyl raincoats. Pilots sat in cockpits made of plexiglass, a shatterproof plastic, and relied on parachutes made of resilient nylon.