Kupanga mapulasitiki kunayamba pakati pa zaka za m'ma 1800. Panthawiyo, pofuna kukwaniritsa zosowa za makampani opanga nsalu omwe anali kutukuka kwambiri ku UK, akatswiri a zamankhwala ankasakaniza mankhwala osiyanasiyana, poganiza kuti apanga bleach ndi utoto. Akatswiri a zamankhwala amakonda kwambiri phula la malasha, lomwe ndi zinyalala zofanana ndi mkaka zomwe zimasungidwa m'ma chimney a fakitale zomwe zimayendetsedwa ndi gasi wachilengedwe.

William Henry Platinum, wothandizira labu ku Royal Institute of Chemistry ku London, anali m'modzi mwa anthu omwe adachita izi. Tsiku lina, pamene platinum inali kupukuta zinthu zomwe zinatayikira pa benchi la labu, zinapezeka kuti nsaluyo inali itapakidwa utoto kukhala lavenda yomwe sinkapezeka kawirikawiri panthawiyo. Kupezeka kumeneku mwangozi kunapangitsa kuti platinum ilowe mumakampani opanga utoto ndipo pamapeto pake inakhala miliyoneya.
Ngakhale kuti kupezeka kwa platinamu si pulasitiki, kupezeka kumeneku mwangozi n'kofunika kwambiri chifukwa kumasonyeza kuti mankhwala opangidwa ndi anthu angapezeke poyang'anira zinthu zachilengedwe. Opanga azindikira kuti zinthu zambiri zachilengedwe monga matabwa, amber, rabala, ndi galasi ndi zosoŵa kwambiri kapena zodula kwambiri kapena sizoyenera kupanga zinthu zambiri chifukwa ndi zodula kwambiri kapena zosasinthasintha mokwanira. Zipangizo zopangidwa ndi zinthu zachilengedwe ndi njira yabwino kwambiri yolowera m'malo mwake. Zingasinthe mawonekedwe ake kutentha ndi kupanikizika, ndipo zimathanso kusunga mawonekedwe ake pambuyo pozizira.
Colin Williamson, yemwe anayambitsa bungwe la London Society for the History of Plastics, anati: “Panthawiyo, anthu ankafunika kupeza njira ina yotsika mtengo komanso yosavuta kusintha.”
Pambuyo pa platinum, munthu wina wa ku England, Alexander Parks, anasakaniza chloroform ndi mafuta a castor kuti apange chinthu cholimba ngati nyanga za nyama. Ichi chinali pulasitiki yoyamba yopangidwa. Mapaki akuyembekeza kugwiritsa ntchito pulasitiki yopangidwa ndi anthu iyi m'malo mwa rabara yomwe singagwiritsidwe ntchito kwambiri chifukwa cha ndalama zobzala, kukolola, ndi kukonza.
John Wesley Hyatt, katswiri wosula zitsulo ku New York, anayesa kupanga mipira ya biliyadi ndi zinthu zopanga m'malo mwa mipira ya biliyadi yopangidwa ndi minyanga ya njovu. Ngakhale kuti sanathetse vutoli, adapeza kuti posakaniza camphor ndi kuchuluka kwa zosungunulira, zinthu zomwe zimatha kusintha mawonekedwe pambuyo potenthetsa zimatha kupezeka. Hyatt amatcha izi celluloid. Mtundu watsopano wa pulasitiki uli ndi mawonekedwe opangidwa ndi makina ndi antchito osadziwa ntchito. Umabweretsera makampani opanga mafilimu zinthu zolimba komanso zowoneka bwino zomwe zimatha kuwonetsa zithunzi pakhoma.
Celluloid inalimbikitsanso chitukuko cha makampani opanga ma rekodi apakhomo, ndipo pamapeto pake inasintha ma rekodi oyambirira a cylindrical. Mapulasitiki amtsogolo angagwiritsidwe ntchito popanga ma rekodi a vinyl ndi matepi a kaseti; pomaliza pake, polycarbonate imagwiritsidwa ntchito popanga ma compact disc.
Celluloid imapangitsa kujambula zithunzi kukhala ntchito yogulitsa kwambiri. George Eastman asanapange celluloid, kujambula zithunzi kunali kokwera mtengo komanso kovuta chifukwa wojambula zithunziyo ankayenera kupanga filimuyo yekha. Eastman anabwera ndi lingaliro latsopano: kasitomala anatumiza filimu yomalizidwa ku sitolo yomwe anatsegula, ndipo iye anakonza filimuyo kwa kasitomala. Celluloid ndi chinthu choyamba chowonekera chomwe chingapangidwe kukhala pepala lopyapyala ndipo chingakulungidwe mu kamera.
Pafupifupi nthawi imeneyi, Eastman anakumana ndi wachinyamata wochokera ku Belgium, Leo Beckeland. Baekeland adapeza mtundu wa pepala losindikizira lomwe limakhala losavuta kumva kuwala. Eastman adagula chipangizo cha Beckland pa madola 750,000 aku US (ofanana ndi madola 2.5 miliyoni aku US omwe alipo). Ndi ndalama zomwe zinalipo, Baekeland adamanga labotale. Ndipo mu 1907 adapanga pulasitiki ya phenolic.
Zipangizo zatsopanozi zapambana kwambiri. Zinthu zopangidwa ndi pulasitiki ya phenolic zikuphatikizapo mafoni, zingwe zoteteza kutentha, mabatani, ma propeller a ndege, ndi mipira ya biliyadi yapamwamba kwambiri.
Kampani ya Parker Pen imapanga mapeni osiyanasiyana a kasupe pogwiritsa ntchito pulasitiki ya phenolic. Pofuna kutsimikizira kulimba kwa pulasitiki ya phenolic, kampaniyo idawonetsa anthu onse ndikuchotsa cholemberacho kuchokera m'nyumba zazitali. Magazini ya "Time" idapereka nkhani yakutsogolo kuti idziwitse wopanga pulasitiki ya phenolic ndi zinthu izi zomwe "zingagwiritsidwe ntchito kangapo"
Patatha zaka zingapo, labotale ya DuPont idapanganso chitukuko china mwangozi: idapanga nayiloni, chinthu chotchedwa silika wochita kupanga. Mu 1930, Wallace Carothers, wasayansi wogwira ntchito mu labotale ya DuPont, adamiza ndodo yagalasi yotentha mu molekyulu yayitali yachilengedwe ndipo adapeza chinthu chotanuka kwambiri. Ngakhale kuti zovala zopangidwa ndi nayiloni yoyambirira zidasungunuka chifukwa cha kutentha kwakukulu kwa chitsulo, wopanga wake Carothers adapitiliza kuchita kafukufuku. Patatha zaka pafupifupi zisanu ndi zitatu, DuPont adayambitsa nayiloni.
Nayiloni yagwiritsidwa ntchito kwambiri m'munda, ma parachuti ndi zingwe za nsapato zonse zimapangidwa ndi nayiloni. Koma akazi amakonda kugwiritsa ntchito nayiloni. Pa Meyi 15, 1940, akazi aku America adagulitsa mapeya 5 miliyoni a masokisi a nayiloni opangidwa ndi DuPont. Masokisi a nayiloni akusowa, ndipo amalonda ena ayamba kunamizira kuti ndi masokisi a nayiloni.
Koma nkhani ya kupambana kwa nayiloni ili ndi mapeto omvetsa chisoni: wopanga wake, Carothers, adadzipha pomwa cyanide. Steven Finnichell, wolemba buku la "Plastic", anati: "Ndinapeza lingaliro pambuyo powerenga buku la Carothers: Carothers anati zipangizo zomwe adapanga zidagwiritsidwa ntchito popanga zovala za akazi. Masokisi adakhumudwa kwambiri. Anali katswiri, zomwe zidamupangitsa kumva kuti sakupirira." Anaganiza kuti anthu angaganize kuti kupambana kwake kwakukulu sikunali kokha kupanga "malonda wamba."
Ngakhale kuti DuPont inali ndi chidwi ndi zinthu zake zomwe anthu ambiri ankazikonda, anthu aku Britain anapeza njira zambiri zogwiritsira ntchito pulasitiki m'gulu lankhondo panthawi ya nkhondo. Kupeza kumeneku kunapangidwa mwangozi. Asayansi mu labotale ya Royal Chemical Industry Corporation ku United Kingdom anali kuchita kafukufuku yemwe sanali wogwirizana ndi izi, ndipo adapeza kuti panali phula loyera pansi pa chubu choyesera. Pambuyo pa mayeso a labotale, zidapezeka kuti chinthuchi ndi chinthu chabwino kwambiri chotetezera kutentha. Makhalidwe ake ndi osiyana ndi galasi, ndipo mafunde a radar amatha kudutsamo. Asayansi amachitcha polyethylene, ndipo amachigwiritsa ntchito kumanga nyumba ya malo osungira radar kuti agwire mphepo ndi mvula, kuti radar ikadali kugwira ndege za adani pansi pa mvula ndi chifunga chochuluka.
Williamson wa bungwe la Society for the History of Plastics anati: “Pali zinthu ziwiri zomwe zimapangitsa kuti mapulasitiki apangidwe. Chinthu chimodzi ndi chikhumbo chofuna kupeza ndalama, ndipo china ndi nkhondo.” Komabe, zaka makumi otsatira ndi zomwe zinapangitsa kuti pulasitiki ikhale Finney weniweni. Chell anaitcha chizindikiro cha “zaka zana la zinthu zopangidwa.” M’zaka za m’ma 1950, ziwiya zopangira chakudya zopangidwa ndi pulasitiki, mitsuko, mabokosi a sopo ndi zinthu zina zapakhomo zinaonekera; m’zaka za m’ma 1960, mipando yopumira mpweya inaonekera. M’zaka za m’ma 1970, akatswiri oteteza zachilengedwe ananena kuti mapulasitiki sangawonongeke okha. Chidwi cha anthu pazinthu zopangidwa ndi pulasitiki chachepa.
Komabe, m'zaka za m'ma 1980 ndi 1990, chifukwa cha kufunikira kwakukulu kwa mapulasitiki m'makampani opanga magalimoto ndi makompyuta, mapulasitiki adalimbitsa kwambiri malo awo. N'zosatheka kukana nkhaniyi yomwe imapezeka paliponse. Zaka makumi asanu zapitazo, dziko lapansi linkangopanga matani masauzande ambiri a pulasitiki chaka chilichonse; masiku ano, kupanga pulasitiki padziko lonse lapansi pachaka kumaposa matani 100 miliyoni. Kupanga pulasitiki pachaka ku United States kumaposa kupanga chitsulo, aluminiyamu ndi mkuwa.
Mapulasitiki atsopanondi zinthu zatsopano zikupezedwabe. Williamson wa Society for the History of Plastics anati: “Opanga ndi opanga zinthu adzagwiritsa ntchito mapulasitiki m'zaka chikwi zikubwerazi. Palibe zinthu za m'banja zomwe zili ngati pulasitiki zomwe zimalola opanga ndi opanga zinthu kupanga zinthu zawo pamtengo wotsika kwambiri.