It’s Only Plastic

Synopsis: Features a plastic which conducts electricity and a biodegradeable plastic drug carrier which replaces 28 daily injections. Describes the chemistry and accidental chain of events which turns normally insulating films of polyacetylene into conductors of electricity - a discovery which may have far-reaching applications in the electronic world of the future. Frank Hutchinson, a polymer chemist, was given the task of designing a biodegradable plastic which could be implanted under the skin of a patient, slowly releasing a delicate drug trapped within its structure. He had to find the exact combination of polymers and combine them with a drug in a way which wouldn’t destroy it. Once placed in the watery environment of a human body it had to dissolve in just the right way to give a progressive release of drug at the prescribed rate.
Series: Organic Chemistry, Course S246
Language: English
Country: Great Britain
Medium: Video; Videocassette. Standard formats. col. 24 min.
Year of production: 1991
Availability: Off-air recording licence
Sale; 1999 sale: £145.00 (+VAT +p&p)
Subjects: Chemistry
Keywords: organic chemistry; pharmaceuticals; plastics; polymers

Producer

Tony Jolly

Cast

Peter Taylor

Name: Open University Worldwide
Web: http://www.ouw.co.uk External site opens in new window
Phone: +44 (0) 1908 274066
Address: Walton Hall
Milton Keynes
MK7 6AA
Notes: NB. As of May 2016 Open University Worldwide are no longer distributing DVDs. They have posted this message on their website: ‘Unfortunately Open University Worldwide Limited has decided that product sales are no longer viable given the reduced funding to Higher Education institutions and diminishing demand for the products we have traditionally stocked. At present the Open University Students Association (OUSA) will continue to sell the "Good Study Guide", and we are in discussion with other possible distributors to continue to make The Open University’s products available for purchase. As soon as we have any information on other channels of distribution we will update this notice’. Some products are still available via second hand dealers on Amazon.co.uk

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