SYNTHETIC POLYMERS

 Polymers are large molecules made up of many repeating units called monomers.
 A monomer is the unit molecule from which a polymer is made.

Addition Polymers
Formation of addition polymers

 Addition polymers are formed by the joining up of many small molecules called monomers.
 Alkenes can act as monomers as they are unsaturated so the double bond can break and bond with
other monomers.

Examples: Formation of poly(chloroethene)

The formation of poly(chloroethene) from the joining of many chloroethene monomers

There are two types of polymers:

1. Natural Polymers.
e.g.: starch, carbohydrate, fat, protein etc.
2. Synthetic polymers (Man-made polymers).
e.g.: polythene, polypropene, polychloroethene (PVC), polystyrene, nylon, terylene.

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Drawing Repeating Units

Polymer molecules are very large compared with most other molecules, so repeat units are used when
displaying the formula:

 Change the double bond in the monomer to a single bond in the repeat unit.
 Add a bond to each end of the repeat unit.

The concept of drawing a repeat unit of a monomer

Repeat units of addition polymers:

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Deducing the Structure of a Monomer from a Repeating Unit

To deduce the structure of a monomer from a repeat unit of an addition polymer, you just need to reverse the
process of drawing a repeat monomer described in the previous section.

 Identify the repeating unit.

 Change the single bond in the repeat unit to a double bond in the monomer.
 Remove the bond from each end of the repeat unit.

How to deduce the structure of a monomer from a repeat unit

Example: Deducing the structure of chloroethene from a repeat unit of Poly(chloroethen

The monomer from the repeat unit of an addition polymer

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Environmental Effects of Addition Polymers

 Addition polymers are unreactive (inert) so don’t easily biodegrade.

 There are many problems involved with the disposal of addition polymers.

Landfills:
 Waste polymers are disposed of in landfill sites but this takes up valuable land as addition polymers are
non-biodegradable so micro-organisms such as decomposers cannot break them down.
 This causes sites to quickly fill up

Incineration:
 Polymers release a lot of heat energy when they burn and produces carbon dioxide which is a
greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change.
 If incinerated by incomplete combustion, carbon monoxide will be produced which is a toxic gas that
reduces the capacity of the blood to carry oxygen.

Recycling:
 Polymers can be recycled but different polymers must be separated from each other.
 This process is difficult and expensive.

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Condensation Polymerization

Condensation polymerisation: A reaction in which two different types of monomer join together to
produce a polymer and expel a small molecule such as water.

Example:

The condensation polymerisation between terephthalic acid and ethane -1,2 diol

Polyesters

Polyester: A condensation polymer formed by the reaction between a dicarboxylic acid with a dialcohol. Both
monomers must have two functional groups.

The basic structure of a polyester, the box represents any group of atoms

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Equation:

Equation of condensation polymerisation of dicarboxylic acid and dialcohol to form a polyester

Formation of a specific polyester:

Equation of the reaction between ethanedioic acid and 1,2-ethanediol

Biodegradable Polyesters

 Biopolyesters are a specific type of polymer that is able to biodegrade naturally in the environment
after their intended purpose.
 The polymers are synthetically made, consisting of ester, amide and ether functional groups which
gives them the characteristic of being biodegradable.

The biodegradation of a bottle made of biopolyesters