Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)—since the 1970s the scourge of the planet in the form of discarded drink bottles—was patented in 1941 and mass-produced since the early 1950s (the infernal PET bottle was patented in 1973).[40] The best-known post–Second World War additions include polycarbonates (for optical lenses, windows, rigid covers), polyimide (for medical tubing), liquid crystal polymers (above all for electronics), and such famous DuPont trademarks as Tyvek® (1955), Lycra® (1959), and Kevlar® (1971).[41] By the end of the 20th century, 50 different kinds of plastics were on the global
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