POLYMERS

SUB TOPICS OF POLYMERS

 Introduction
1  Characteristics and Properties

Important Properties
2 Polymerization

Plastics
3 Uses of Plastics/Types of Plastics
 POLYMERS
 The simplest definition of a polymer
is a useful chemical made of many
repeating units.
 It can be a three-dimensional, two -
dimensional, or one -dimensional
network.
 Polymers occur in nature and can be
made to serve a specific need.
CHARACTERISTICS AND PROPERTIES
1. Thermoplastic
 Can be heated and reformed over and over again. This property allows for easy
processing and facilitates recycling.
2. Thermosets
 Can not be remelted.
 Once these polymers are formed, reheating will cause the material to ultimately
degrade, but not melt.
 GENERAL ATTRIBUTES:
1. Polymer can be very resistant to chemicals.
2. Polymer can be both thermal and electrical insulators.

3. Generally, polymers are very light in weight with significant degrees of strength.

4. Polymers can be processed in various ways.

5. Polymers are materials with a seemingly limitless range of characteristics and color.

6. Polymers are usually made of petroleum, but not always.

7. Polymers can be used to make items that have no alternatives from other material

Changing one or more of the parameters of Polymers can affect their linearity. We can also change
its properties by adding either stabilizers or plasticizers.
Stabilizers
 Used to increase the ability of a plastic to resist oxidation to make it less sensitive
to either heat or light, or as a flame retardant.

Plasticizers
 Increase the flexibility of plastic by acting as a lubricant, decreasing the friction
between molecules as one polymer chain moves past another.
 IMPORTANT PROPERTIES OF A POLYMER
1. Heat Capacity/ Heat Conductivity
 The ratio of heat absorbed by a material to the temperature change. It is usually
expressed as calories per degree in terms of the actual amount of material being
considered, most commonly a mole.
 The extent to which the plastic or polymer acts as an effective insulator against
the flow of heat.

2. Thermal Expansion
 The general increase in the volume of a material as its temperature is increased. It
is usually expressed as a fractional change in length or volume per unit
temperature change.
 The extent to which the polymer expands or contracts when heated or cooled.
3. Crystallinity
 The crystallinity of a polymer refers to the degree to which there are regions
where the polymer chains are aligned with one another.

 The extent to which the polymer chains are arranged in a regular structure instead
of a random fashion.

4. Permeability
 Permeability is defined as the volume of a fluid of unit viscosity passing through
a unit cross-section of the medium in unit time under the action of a unit pressure
gradient.
 The tendency of a polymer to pass extraneous materials.
5. Elastic Modulus
 Elastic modulus determines the deformation of a structural element under flexure.

 The force takes to stretch the plastic in one direction.

6. Tensile Strength
 The maximum load that a material can support without fracture when being
stretched, divided by the original cross-sectional area of the material.

 The strength of the plastic.

7. Resilience
 Resilience is the ability of an elastic material to absorb energy and release that
energy as it springs back to its original shape.
 The ability of the plastic to resist abrasion and wear.

8. Refractive Index
 Also called the index of refraction, the extent to which the plastic affects light as
it passes through the polymer.
9. Resistance to Electric Current
 It is a force that counteracts the flow of current. In this way, it serves as an
indicator of how difficult it is for current to flow. Resistance values are expressed
in ohms (Ω).
 Is the material an insulator, like most polymers, or does it conduct an electric
current?
 POLYMERIZATION
 Polymerization is any process in which relatively small molecules, called monomers, combine
chemically to produce a very large chainlike or network molecule, called a polymer.
 The monomer molecules may be all alike, or they may represent two, three, or more different
compounds.

 The formation of stable covalent chemical bonds between the monomers sets polymerization apart
from other processes, such as crystallization, in which large numbers of molecules aggregate under
the influence of weak intermolecular forces.
 TYPES OF POLYMERIZATION REACTIONS
Addition Polymerization
 This is also called chain growth polymerization. In this, small monomer units
joined to form a giant polymer. In each step length of the chain increases.

 For example, the Polymerization of ethane in the presence of Peroxides.

Condensation Polymerization
 In this type small molecules like H2O, CO, and NH3 are eliminated during
polymerization (step growth polymerization). Generally, organic compounds
containing bifunctional groups such as idols, -dials, diamines, and dicarboxylic
acids undergo this type of polymerization reaction. For example, Preparation of
nylon -6, 6.
What is Copolymerization?
 In this process, two different monomers joined to form a polymer. Synthetic
rubbers are prepared by this polymerization. For example, BUNA – S
 PLASTICS
 used to describe a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that are used in a huge and
growing range of applications.

 We use plastic products to help make our lives cleaner, easier, safer, and more enjoyable.

 Derived from the Greek word ''plastikos'', meaning “fit for molding.”

 This refers to the material’s malleability or plasticity during manufacture, which allows it to be cast,
pressed, or extruded into a variety of shapes - films, fibers, plates, tubes, bottles, boxes, and much
more.
 The raw materials used
to produce plastics are TYPES OF
natural products such as:
PLASTIC
Natural
 Cellulose  Easily obtained from animals and plants.
 Coal
 Natural Gas Synthetic
 Salt
 Crude Oil  Artificially made by a chemical process.
GROUP OF PLASTIC ACCORDING RECYCLING
TO THEIR MONOMERS  Separate them according to their
chemical or physical properties or
Polyester even by their types of polymers to
 A kind of plastic usually derived from prevent contamination.
petroleum.
 Group the plastic according to
Polyethylene what they are made of.
 Commonly produced plastic is
BIOPLASTIC
used for packaging.
 Artificially made from
Polyurethane
 Composed of organic units joined natural ingredients.
by carbamate links.
GROUP OF PLASTIC ACCORDING
TO HOW THEY BEHAVE WHEN
HEATHEN.
USES OF PLASTIC
 Plastic is ideal for a wide
range of consumer and
Thermoplastic industrial applications. Ideal
 soften when heated. because of its low density,
excellent insulator, corrosion
resistant, durable, flexible,
Thermoset etc.
 Never softens after
initially heated.
SOME USES OF PLASTIC:
 Packaging

 Building and Construction

 Mobility and Transport
 Electronics
 Agriculture
 Healthcare
 Sport and Leisure
 Energy