Izitsha zokudla ze-Melamine zikuvumela ukuthi uhlale edeskini lakho ngaphandle kokukhathazeka ngokulimaza i-china yakho enhle. Thola ukuthi lezi zitsha ezisebenzayo zaba kanjani ezibalulekile ekudleni kwansuku zonke ngawo-1950 nangale kwalokho.
ULeanne Potts uyintatheli ewine imiklomelo ebilokhu ibhala ngezokuklama nezindlu iminyaka engamashumi amathathu. Unguchwepheshe kukho konke kusukela ekukhetheni imibala yekamelo kuya ekutshaleni utamatisi oyigugu kuya emvelaphi yesimanje ekuklanyweni kwangaphakathi. Umsebenzi wakhe uvele ku-HGTV, Parade, BHG, Travel Channel kanye noBob Vila.
UMarcus Reeves ungumbhali onolwazi, umshicileli, kanye nomhloli wamaqiniso. Waqala ukubhala imibiko kumagazini i-The Source. Umsebenzi wakhe uvele ku-The New York Times, Playboy, The Washington Post kanye ne-Rolling Stone, phakathi kwezinye izincwadi. Incwadi yakhe, ethi Someone Screamed: The Rise of Rap in the Black Power Aftershock, yaqokwa kwi-Zora Neale Hurston Award. Uyilungu le-faculty elisekelayo eNyuvesi yaseNew York, lapho efundisa khona ukubhala nokuxhumana. UMarcus wathola iziqu zakhe ze-bachelor eNyuvesi yaseRutgers eNew Brunswick, eNew Jersey.
EMelika ngemva kwempi, indawo evamile yabantu abasezingeni eliphakathi yayibonakala ngezidlo zase-patio, izingane eziningi, kanye nemibuthano yokuzijabulisa lapho wawungeke uphuphe khona ukuya esidlweni sakusihlwa ne-china enhle kanye nezindwangu zetafula ezisindayo ze-damask. Esikhundleni salokho, izitsha ezikhethwayo zaleso sikhathi kwakuyizitsha zepulasitiki, ikakhulukazi lezo ezenziwe nge-melamine.
“I-Melamine ngokuqinisekile iyazivumelanisa nale ndlela yokuphila yansuku zonke,” kusho uDkt. Anna Ruth Gatling, uprofesa osizayo wokuklama ingaphakathi e-Auburn University ofundisa izifundo ngomlando wokuklama ingaphakathi.
I-Melamine iyi-resin yepulasitiki eyasungulwa ngusokhemisi waseJalimane uJustus von Liebig ngawo-1830. Kodwa-ke, njengoba le nto yayibiza kakhulu ukuyikhiqiza futhi u-von Liebig engakaze anqume ukuthi enzeni ngesakhiwo sakhe, yahlala ingasebenzi iminyaka eyikhulu. Ngawo-1930, intuthuko yezobuchwepheshe yenza i-melamine yashibhile ukuyikhiqiza, ngakho abaklami baqala ukucabanga ukuthi benzeni ngayo, ekugcineni bathola ukuthi lolu hlobo lwepulasitiki ye-thermoset lungashiswa futhi lubunjwe lube yizitsha zokudla ezingabizi, ezikhiqizwa ngobuningi.
Ezinsukwini zayo zokuqala, i-American Cyanamid ese-New Jersey yayingomunye wabakhiqizi nabasabalalisi abahamba phambili bempuphu ye-melamine embonini yepulasitiki. Babhalise ipulasitiki yabo ye-melamine ngaphansi kophawu lokuhweba oluthi “Melmac”. Nakuba le nto isetshenziselwa nokwenza amabhokisi ewashi, izibambo zesitofu kanye nezibambo zefenisha, isetshenziswa kakhulu ukwenza izitsha zokudla.
Izitsha zokudla ze-melamine zazisetshenziswa kabanzi ngesikhathi seMpi Yezwe II futhi zakhiqizwa ngobuningi bamasosha, izikole, nezibhedlela. Njengoba izinsimbi nezinye izinto zingekho, amapulasitiki amasha abhekwa njengezinto zesikhathi esizayo. Ngokungafani namanye amapulasitiki okuqala njengeBakelite, i-melamine izinzile ngamakhemikhali futhi ihlala isikhathi eside ngokwanele ukumelana nokugezwa njalo nokushisa.
Ngemva kwempi, izitsha zokudla ze-melamine zangena ezinkulungwaneni zezindlu ngobuningi. “Ngawo-1940 kwakunezitshalo ezintathu ezinkulu ze-melamine, kodwa ngawo-1950 kwakunamakhulu,” kusho uGatlin. Eminye yemikhiqizo ethandwa kakhulu yezitsha zokupheka ze-melamine ihlanganisa i-Branchell, i-Texas Ware, i-Lenox Ware, i-Prolon, i-Mar-crest, i-Boontonware, kanye ne-Raffia Ware.
Njengoba izigidi zabantu baseMelika zithuthela ezindaweni ezingaphansi komhlaba ngemuva kokuchuma komnotho ngemva kwempi, bathenga amasethi e-melamine dinnerware ukuze avumelane nemizi yabo emisha nendlela yokuphila. Indawo yokuhlala e-patio isibe ngumqondo omusha odumile, futhi imindeni idinga izinto zepulasitiki ezingabizi ezingakhishwa ngaphandle. Ngesikhathi sokuchuma kwe-baby boom, i-melamine yayiyinto efanelekile kule nkathi. “Izitsha azivamile ngempela futhi akudingeki uqaphele,” kusho uGatlin. “Ungazilahla!”
Ukukhangisa kusukela ngaleso sikhathi kwakhangiswa izitsha zokupheka zeMelmac njengepulasitiki yomlingo "yokuphila ngokukhululeka emasikweni akudala." Esinye isikhangiso somugqa we-Branchell's Color-Flyte kusukela ngawo-1950 sathi izitsha zokupheka "zaziqinisekisiwe ukuthi aziqhekeki, aziqhekeki noma ziphuke." Imibala ethandwayo ifaka phakathi opinki, oluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka, oluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka, o-mint, ophuzi nomhlophe, onezimo zejiyometri ezigqamile ngesitayela sezimbali noma se-athomu.
“Ukuchuma kwawo-1950 kwakungafani nanoma yiliphi elinye ishumi leminyaka,” kusho uGatlin. Ithemba laleso sikhathi libonakala emibalabala kanye nokuma kwalezi zitsha, esho. “Izitsha zokudla zeMelamine zinazo zonke lezo zimo zejometri eziphawulekayo zaphakathi nekhulu leminyaka, njengezitsha ezincane nezibambo ezincane zendebe, ezenza zibe zehlukile,” kusho uGatlin. Abathengi bakhuthazwa ukuxuba nokufanisa imibala ukuze bangeze ubuciko kanye nesitayela ekuhlobiseni.
Ingxenye engcono kakhulu ukuthi iMelmac ishibhile kakhulu: isethi yabantu abane yayibiza cishe u-$15 ngawo-1950 kanti manje yayibiza cishe u-$175. “Ayibalulekile,” kusho uGatlin. “Ungazamukela izitayela futhi ubonise ubuntu bakho ngoba unenketho yokuzishintsha ngemva kweminyaka embalwa bese uthola imibala emisha.”
Umklamo wezitsha ze-melamine nawo uyamangalisa. I-American Cyanamid yaqasha umklami wezimboni uRussell Wright, owaletha ubusimanje etafuleni laseMelika ngomugqa wakhe wezitsha ze-American Modern ezivela eSteubenville Pottery Company, ukuze asebenze ngomlingo wakhe ngezitsha zepulasitiki. UWright waklama umugqa wezitsha ze-Melmac weNorthern Plastics Company, eyawina umklomelo weMuseum of Modern Art ngomklamo omuhle ngo-1953. Iqoqo elibizwa ngokuthi “Ikhaya” lalingenye yamaqoqo athandwa kakhulu eMelmac ngawo-1950.
Ngawo-1970, imishini yokuwasha izitsha kanye nama-microwave kwaba yizinto eziyinhloko emakhishini aseMelika, futhi izitsha zokupheka ze-melamine zaphelelwa amandla. Ipulasitiki emangalisayo yango-1950 yayingaphephile ukusetshenziswa kuzo zombili izitsha zokupheka futhi ithathelwe indawo yiCorelle njengokukhetha okungcono kwezitsha zokupheka zansuku zonke.
Kodwa-ke, ekuqaleni kwawo-2000, i-melamine yaphinde yavuselelwa kanye nefenisha yesimanje yaphakathi nekhulu leminyaka. Uchungechunge lokuqala lwawo-1950 lwaba yizinto zabaqoqi futhi kwadalwa umugqa omusha wezinto zokudla ze-melamine.
Izinguquko zobuchwepheshe kufomula ye-melamine kanye nenqubo yokukhiqiza zenza umshini wokuwasha izitsha uphephe futhi unikeze impilo entsha. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, intshisekelo ekhulayo ekusimeni imvelo yenze i-melamine yaba yindlela ethandwayo esikhundleni samapuleti alahlwayo agcina esezindaweni zokulahla udoti ngemva kokusetshenziswa kanye.
Kodwa-ke, ngokusho kwe-US Food and Drug Administration, i-melamine ayikafaneleki ukufudumeza nge-microwave, okunciphisa ukuvuka kwayo, kokubili endala nentsha.
“Kulesi sikhathi sokunethezeka, ngokungafani nencazelo yama-1950 yokuthi kulula, lezo zitsha zokudla ze-melamine ezindala cishe azisetshenziswa nsuku zonke,” kusho uGatlin. Phatha izitsha zokudla ze-melamine eziqinile zama-1950 ngokunakekela okufanayo ongakuphatha ngezinto zakudala. Ekhulwini lama-21, amapuleti epulasitiki angaba yizinto eziqoqwayo ezibalulekile, kanti i-melamine yakudala ingaba yi-china enhle.