CHEMISTRY CHAPTER 4: POLYMERS

Table of contents: By Team Meow meow = ( Halimeow and 3 headed creature)

I. Introduction to polymer APPLICATION FUNCTION
II. Addition polymers vs Condensation polymers OF POLYMER
III. Thermoplastics vs Thermosets Polymer AUTOMOBILE  Used are - Instrument Panels - Engine -
IV. Isotactic, Syndiotactic and Atactic polymer Windows - Tires - Body Panels
V. Copolymers CIVIL  The construction industry uses variety of
VI. Recycling codes ENGINEERING classic building material like metals, glass,
VII. Properties of polymers wood, and stone but plastic material are
become increasingly important due to
VIII. Naturally Occurring polymers
there outstanding performance.
IX. Inorganic Polymers
 Some application of polymer in building
X. Some applications of polymers construction:
o PVC with stabilizers and additives
has been developed for roller
What is polymer shutters, gutters and fences.
o Polystyrene are used extensively,
 Large molecule compose of repeating small molecule primarily in insulation applications:
units. o Composite materials are being used
 Poly – Greek word for many for load bearing in construction
applications.
 Meros- Greek word for parts.
o Recycled plastic are also being used
in a cement matrices.
o Polymeric fibers can also use to
reinforce cement.
o Polymer mortars and concerted are
used in applications such as
protective coating.
ELECTRONICS  In general polymer have poor electrical
conductivity, but new polymer material
has been synthesized which process
electrical conductivities.
 Such polymers are called conducting
polymer. This process transforming a
polymer to its conductive form via
APPLICATION OF POLYMER
chemical oxidation and reduction called
doping.
SPAC AGRICULTUR  Polymer are widely used in the field of
E E agriculture to improve the physical
properties of soil and increase
CIVIL
OCEAN productivity. These polymers are known as
ENGINEERING
soil onditioner and used for the following
purposes in agriculture:
o Preventing soil erosion.
o Reducing irrigation frequency.
APPLICATION o Increasing water used efficiency.
OF POLYMER o Increasing plant performance
AUTOMOBILE AGRICULTURE especially in drought.

Tips sa exam:
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MEDICAL ELECTRONICS
ADDITION POLYMER AND CONDENSATION
Addition polymer Condensation polymers
Are formed by a straight  Are formed by linking
forward linking together of together of bifunctional
monomer units with no loss polymers to give
or gain of material polymer and some small
molecules like water,
polyster and nylon
THERMOPLASTICS VS THERMOSETS
Thermoplastics
These can be softened
by heating and hardened by
cooling - easily recycled
Can easily be cast into
various shapes
Example: polyethylene,
polypropylene and
polystyrene.
Thermosets
These harden after
being heated
Can easily be cast into
different shapes
Cannot be reformed
Example: Polyurethane
and Vulcanized rubber,
 ISOSTATIC , SYNDIOTACTIC , ATACTIC
Recycling codes for commonly used plastics
ISOSTATIC – the side chain is arranged on one side of the
backbone chain.
SYNDIOTACTIC - the side chain is arranged on alternatively
of the backbone chain.
ATACTIC- the side chain is arranged on Randomly of the
backbone chain.

Copolymers Properties of polymers

There are four main types of copolymers
 Alternating copolymers – monomers are arranged in
regular alternating series.
Naturally vs synthetics
 Block copolymers – have regions in the material
where a single monomer unit is repeated.
Natural Polymers Synthetic Polymers
 Random copolymer – monomers are randomly
combined Can be found naturally in Artificially produce by
 Graft copolymer – involve side chains of one polymer our environment humans
attached to a backbone of a different polymer Occur naturally Do not occur naturally
Produced from biological Produced from chemical
process process
 Most polymers are easily Most polymers are hard to
degraded by biological degrade naturally by
processes biological process

Examples of natural polymers

 Glucose – most abundant monosaccharide, is the primary
chemical energy storage of plants via photosynthesis.
 Starch - the polymeric form of glucose that serves as the
plant’s major energy storage.
 Cellulose- a liner polymer of glucose, is the major
structural component of plant cell walls.
o It is the most abundant organic polymer material
on earth.
o Only starch and cellulose have a configuration of
linkage between carbon 1 and carbon 4
 Chitin – an N-acetylglucosame polymer, can be sourced
out mainly from crustaceans and bacteria and fungi.
o Most abundant organic skeletal components of
invertebrates.

Example of Inorganic polymers