What is a Polymer?

Poly mer
many repeat unit

repeat repeat repeat

unit unit unit
H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H
C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C
H H H H H H H Cl H Cl H Cl H CH3 H CH3 H CH3
Polyethylene (PE) Poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) Polypropylene (PP)
Adapted from Fig. 14.2, Callister & Rethwisch 8e.

Chapter 14 - 1
 Ancient Polymers
• Originally natural polymers were used
– Wood – Rubber
– Cotton – Wool
– Leather – Silk

• Oldest known uses

– Rubber balls used by Incas
– Noah used pitch (a natural polymer)
for the ark

Chapter 14 - 2
 Polymer Composition
Most polymers are hydrocarbons
– i.e., made up of H and C
• Saturated hydrocarbons
– Each carbon singly bonded to four other atoms
– Example:
• Ethane, C2H6

H H
H
C C

H H
H
Chapter 14 - 3
 Chemistry and Structure of
Polyethylene

Adapted from Fig.

14.1, Callister &
Rethwisch 8e.

Note: polyethylene is a long-chain hydrocarbon

- paraffin wax for candles is short polyethylene
Chapter 14 - 4
 Polymerization Process
1) Addition Polymerization

Initiation Rapid addition of Long chain polymer

monomers molecule

Chapter 14 - 5
Adapted adopted from Groover, M. P. "Fundamentals-of-Modern-Manufacturing-4Th-Edition-By-Mikell-P-Groover." (2010).
 Polymerization Process
2) Condensation Polymerization

Two reacting monomers are brought together

to form a new molecule of the desired
compound

Chapter 14 - 6
Adapted adopted from Groover, M. P. "Fundamentals-of-Modern-Manufacturing-4Th-Edition-By-Mikell-P-Groover." (2010).
Polymerization Process

Chapter 14 - 7
Bulk or Commodity Polymers

Chapter 14 - 8
Bulk or Commodity Polymers (cont)

Chapter 14 - 9
Bulk or Commodity Polymers (cont)

Chapter 14 -10
VMSE: Polymer Repeat Unit Structures

Manipulate and rotate polymer structures in 3-dimensions

Chapter 14 - 11
 MOLECULAR WEIGHT
• Molecular weight, M: Mass of a mole of chains.

Low M

high M

Not all chains in a polymer are of the same length

— i.e., there is a distribution of molecular weights

Chapter 14 -12
 Molecular Structures for Polymers

secondary
bonding

Linear B ranched Cross-Linked Network

Adapted from Fig. 14.7, Callister & Rethwisch 8e.

Chapter 14 -13
 Crystallinity in Polymers Adapted from Fig.
14.10, Callister &
Rethwisch 8e.
• Ordered atomic
arrangements involving
molecular chains
• Crystal structures in terms
of unit cells
• Example shown
– polyethylene unit cell

Chapter 14 -14
 Polymer Crystallinity (cont.)
Polymers rarely 100% crystalline
• Difficult for all regions of all chains to
become aligned crystalline
region
• Degree of crystallinity
expressed as % crystallinity.
-- Some physical properties
depend on % crystallinity.
-- Heat treating causes
crystalline regions to grow
and % crystallinity to
increase.
amorphous
region
Adapted from Fig. 14.11, Callister 6e.
(Fig. 14.11 is from H.W. Hayden, W.G. Moffatt,
and J. Wulff, The Structure and Properties of
Materials, Vol. III, Mechanical Behavior, John Wiley
and Sons, Inc., 1965.) Chapter 14 -15
Polymer Crystallinity (cont.)

Chapter 14 -16
Characteristics of Amorphous and
Crystalline Polymers

Chapter 14 - 17
Characteristics of Amorphous and Crystalline Polymers

Chapter 14 -18
Transparency of Plastics

Chapter 14 - 19
Thanks

Chapter 14 - 20