Acrylic resins are any thermoplastic polymer or copolymer of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, or acrylonitrile.

In 1843 Ferdinand Redtenbacher (1809-1895) oxidized acrolein with aqueous silver oxide and isolated acrylic acid. Friedrich Beilstein (1838-1883) produced acrylic acid by distilling hydroacrylic acids in 1862. Research in the field continued with the efforts of Edward Frankland (1825-1899), Duppon, Schneider, Richard Erlenmeyer (1825-1909), Engelhorn, Carpary and Tollens and accelerated after French chemist Charles Moureu (1803-1929) discovered acrylonitrile in 1893. He demonstrated that it was a nitrile of acrylic acid.

During World War I acrylonitrile was put to work in the manufacture of a synthetic rubber. With the restoration of trade after the war, the supply of natural rubber increased and made the synthetic less profitable, so companies began researching other uses for acrylonitrile. The synthetic fiber industry was one of the first options investigated. Early developments in acrylonitrile fibers were hampered until appropriate...