Advancements in the field of plastics will soon pave the way for ultra-thin, flexible monitors and laptops, with the market for these devices pegged to grow ten-fold in the next six years.

Certain types of plastics have long been known to conduct electricity, and as scientists are discovering, can also be used to create organic light-emitting displays (OLEDs).

According to Physics World, market analysts are predicting the OLED industry to grow to GBP£15.5 billion (AUD$32.5 billion) by 2014.

Using OLED technology it will eventually be possible to create consumer-level high definition TVs that are less than one centimetre thick.

It is easier to produce displays using OLED technology than using the conventional alternative, and OLEDs consume less energy than their counterparts.

Another emerging potential for plastic is in the manufacture of transistors. Plastic transistors are easier and cheaper to manufacture than the silicon-based alternatives.