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Home / IGCSE / Chemistry / Edexcel / Revision Notes / 4. Organic Chemistry / 4.8 Synthetic polymers / 4.8.1 Addition Polymers

4.8.1 Addition Polymers 1. PRINCIPLES OF

CHEMISTRY

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2. INORGANIC CHEMISTRY

3. PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY

4. ORGANIC CHEMISTRY

4.1 Introduction

4.2 Crude Oil

4.3 Alkanes

4.4 Alkenes

4.5 Alcohols
Monomers
4.6 Carboxylic acids
Polymers are large molecules of high relative molecular mass and are made by
linking together large numbers of smaller molecules called monomers
This process is called addition polymerisation
4.7 Esters
Each monomer is a repeat unit and is connected to the adjacent units
via covalent bonds
Polymerisation reactions usually require high pressures and the use of 4.8 Synthetic polymers
a catalyst
Many everyday materials such as resins, plastics, polystyrene cups, nylon etc.
are polymers 4.8.1 Addition Polymers
These are manufactured and are called synthetic polymers
Nature also produces polymers which are called natural or biological polymers
4.8.2 Disposal of Addition
Polymers

4.8.3 Condensation
Polymers

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Diagram showing how lots of monomers bond together to form a polymer

Drawing Polymers

Addition polymers are formed by the joining up of many monomers and only
occurs in monomers that contain C=C bonds
One of the bonds in each C=C bond breaks and forms a bond with the adjacent
monomer with the polymer being formed containing single bonds only
Many polymers can be made by the addition of alkene monomers
Others are made from alkene monomers with different atoms attached to
the monomer such as chlorine or a hydroxyl group
The name of the polymer is deduced by putting the name of the monomer in
brackets and adding poly- as the prefix
For example if propene is the alkene monomer used, then the name
is polypropene
Polyethene is formed by the addition polymerisation of ethene monomers

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Examples of addition polymerisation: polyethene and PVC

Deducing Monomers & Repeat Units

Deducing the monomer from the polymer

Polymer molecules are very large compared with most other molecule
Repeat units are used when displaying the formula
To draw a repeat unit, 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 bonds on either side of the polymer must extend outside the brackets
(these are called extension or continuation bonds)
A small subscript n is written on the bottom right hand side to indicate a large
number of repeat units
Add on the rest of the groups in the same order that they surrounded the
double bond in the monomer

Diagram showing the concept of drawing a repeat unit of a monomer

Deducing the polymer from the monomer

Identify the repeating unit in the polymer
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 and the subscript n (which
can be placed in front of the monomer)

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Diagram showing the monomer of the repeat unit of polymer

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