Plastics - versatile engineering materials

As introductory speaker, | quote the aim of the organisers of this 2nd International Plastics Pipe Symposium.
to. enable architects, builders, chemical, civil and mechanical engineers, consultants, contractors and educationalists to review the progress and practice in the uses of plastic pipes.
Our presence suggests that we applaud this aim. Whether we are individually interested especially in applications, processing, materials, or the ‘Fundamentals’ of this first session, progress in such an advancing field is by the coming together of people of different disciplines to make their contributions to the whole.

The uses of plastics for pipes is a truly extraordinary development within the age-old time scale of pipes. Just a month ago, I looked at the non-ferrous metal pipes at Knossos of 2000 BC; they seemed to be of quite advanced metal-pipe type. In contrast, we have the already widespread use of plastic pipes within two or three decades of their introduction. The recent Report of the Plastics Working Party of the Chemicals EDC gives the tonnage consumption in 1968, and projected for 1975 and 1980, of Table 1.