Chemistry of Everyday Things

CONTENTS OF CURRICULUM UNIT 11.05.10

  1. Unit Guide
  1. Introduction
  2. Rationale
  3. Background
  4. Strategies
  5. Classroom Activities
  6. Teacher Resources
  7. Reading List for Students
  8. Appendix 1 State Standards
  9. Endnotes
  10. Bibliography

Polytails and Urban Tumble Weaves: The Chemistry of Synthetic Hair Fibers

Lesia Whitehurst

Published September 2011

Tools for this Unit:

Reading List for Students

Couteur, Penny, and Jay Burreson. Napoleon's buttons: how 17 molecules changed history. New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam, 2003.

The book recounts the stories of seventeen molecules and their seemly unrelated link to historical events.

Freinkel, Susan. Plastic: a toxic love story. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2011.

An examination of plastics through the lens of everyday objects such as a comb, a chair and a soda bottle.

Harris, Juliette, and Pamela Johnson. Tenderheaded: a comb-bending collection of hair stories. New York: Washington Square Press, 2002 2001.

This is a collection of individual stories, articles, poems, essays and histories about African Americans and their hair.

Schwarcz, Joseph A.. The fly in the ointment: 70 fascinating commentaries on the science of everyday life. Toronto: ECW Press, 2004.

This book covers a variety of topics from the science of vitamins to plastic wraps with easy to understand explanations.

You tube Videos:

Polymerization [Video]. 2011 Retrieved July 29, 2011, from http://youtu.be/7nCfbZwGWK8

Video demonstration on nylon synthesis

How plastic bottles are recycled into polyester, [Video]. 2011 Retrieved July 29, 2011, from http://youtu.be/zyF9MxlcItw

Insightful video on the processing of plastic bottles into synthetic fibers

Recycling plastic bottles into polyester yarn on "How It's Made," [Video]. 2011 Retrieved July 29, 2011, from http://youtu.be/Yhx7-DB-_y4

Video shows how plastic bottles are recycled to make polyester yarn

Comments:

Ci Hamilton

May 15, 2016 at 12:39 am

Chemical in synthetic hair

Great into tho the composition of synthetic hair but wonder what if any address the potentially harmful chemicals found in synthetic hair or adverse effects of long term use e.g. plastic ingredient ťriggering estrogen effects.

Porshe Chiles

May 12, 2017 at 2:42 pm

Can synthetic hair be recycled/reused

Is there a way to recycle synthetic hair, in a non-harmful way, as a means of creating other products, or to create more synthetic hair?

Heather N/a Elliott

July 3, 2017 at 9:29 pm

useful information

I landed on this portal while doing research on synthetic hair. It was extremely helpful and informative. thank you

Latisha Krupincza

November 30, 2018 at 9:39 pm

You've inspired me!

You've inspired me to start a socially responsible company with young girls in the Philadelphia. Let's connect!

Ali T

November 26, 2020 at 5:22 pm

Vinegar and Synthetic hair

It's common for people who use symthetic hair (known as Kanekalon) to soak it in vinegar to prevent common irritation and other allergic reactions. I would love to know the chemical reaction and safety aspects of doing this. I think my students would also want to know this. Do you know and are you able to share the reactions?

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