BIRLA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE-PILANI,

Hyderabad CAMPUS
Midsemester TEST FIRST SEMESTER 2019-2020 Date: 05/10/2019
Time: 90 minutes Max. Marks – 70 M Weightage 35%
Closed Book Time: 11.am -12.30 p.m.
COURSE NO: CHEM F325 COURSE TITLE: POLYMER CHEMISTRY
There are five questions, printed in two pages. Answer all questions. All parts of
the question should be answered together. Start a new question from a fresh page .

Q.1 (a) (i) Explain briefly in couple of sentences, why thermoplastic polymers soften
reversibly when heated and thermosetting polymer harden permanently when heated? (ii)
Give two examples for each of the above category. [4M]
(b) (i) Which property of PVC makes it to be extensively used in sewage pipes? In
recent times two other types of PVC were developed commercially and are in use, as
commodity (ii) Identify them (iii) Mention three differences between each one of them
(iv) Among the two, which one can be used for the transmission of drinking water?
[2M+2M+3M+1M=8M]
(c) Name the polymer used in/as (i) yogurt containers (ii) CD’s/DVD’s/Blu-Ray [2M]

Q2. (a) Identify all the possible isomers that can result from the addition polymerization
of 1, 3-butadiene. [3M]
(b) Write the isotactic and syndiotactic forms of poly (1,2-butadiene) [3M]
(c) An amorphous polymer possessed an approximate melting temperature of 205 °C.
What is the range of its Tg? [2M]
(d) A polydisperse sample of polystyrene is prepared by mixing three monodisperse
samples in the following proportions: 1g (10,000 mol. wt.), (2 g of 50,000 mol. wt) and
(2 g of 100,000 mol. wt). Calculate the number average molecular weight, weight
average molecular weight and PDI of the mixture. [6M]

Q3. (a) Acrylonitrile (C3H3N) can be polymerized in liquid ammonia by using KNH2 as
an initiator (i) Which type of polymerization does this belong to? (ii) Write down the
reaction scheme in three significant steps for this particular reaction. [1M+ 4M= 5M]
(b) A 1M solution of styrene in benzene was polymerized by a free radical mechanism,
using an initiator concentration of 0.05 M. The steady state propagation rate was 1.510-7
mol L-1 s-1. Calculate the rate of propagation for an initiator concentration of 0.2 M, given
the other conditions remain same as above. [2M] [Hint: Rp= {kp(f kd[I]) / kt)1/2[M]}]
(c) In a free radial copolymerization of two monomers m1 and m2, four propagation steps
were observed with rate constants k11, k12, k21 and k22, and reactivity ratios as r1 = k11/k12

1
and r2 =k22/k21, write any two conditions and the corresponding resulting structural
organization of the polymers that could be obtained? [4M]
(d) (i) What are Zeigler –Natta catalysts? (ii) Schematically show the mechanism of
Zeigler-Natta polymerization of propylene. [3M]

Q4. (a) What is Tromsdorf effect and in which polymerization technique is it observed?
[2M+1M =3M]
(b) What is the difference (write in brief) between solution polymerization and
suspension polymerization? Mention two advantages and disadvantages of each
technique. [4M]
(c) Give reasons for the following with proper justification: [1M+1M+2M=4M]
(i) Cellulose is modified to cellulose acetate
(ii) Chemical modification of alkenes through bromination
(iii) PVB is used in between the layers of glass in safety windshields
(d) Calculate the (i) contour length (in m) (ii) root mean square end-to-end distance (in
nm) for polyethylene sample with a molecular weight of 280 kg/mol. Assume that the C-
C bond is 154 pm. (consider fixed real bonds with tetrahedral angle). [1M+2M=3M]

Q5. (a) Draw a neat labelled phase diagram representing compositional changes with
change in temperature of a polymer solution subjected to heating. Indicate properly the
significant features observed. [5M]
(b) Estimate the solubility parameter in units (MPa)1/2, for poly(methyl methacrylate)
(PMMA) by the method of Hoy. The density of PMMA is reported to be 1.188 g cm -3 at
25 °C. (Molecular formula of PMMA: C5H8O2). (Useful data: Molar attraction constants
(Hoy), F [in (Mpa)1/2cm3 mol-1] for CH3, CH2, >C< and ester groups are 303, 269, 65.5,
668) respectively. [4M]
(c) A flexible polymer solution with molecular weight 200,000 obeys Mark-Howink-
Sakurada equation with Mark-Howink parameters 0.80 and 1×10-4 and Huggins constant
as 0.33. At a concentration of 0.30 g/dL, calculate (i) Specific viscosity and (ii) Relative
viscosity. [1M+ 2M+2M=5M]

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