There are two basic ways to form polymers: (a) linking small molecules together, a type of addition reaction, and (b) combining two molecules (of the same or different type) with the elimination of a stable small molecule such as water.
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How are polymers different from other molecules?
One major difference between polymers and small molecules (monomers) are the characteristics that polymers exhibit. Polymers normally have higher viscosities, higher boiling points and can show improved mechanical strength over small molecules (monomers).
What is the chemical reaction of polymer?
Polymerization Reactions The chemical reaction in which high molecular mass molecules are formed from monomers is known as polymerization. There are two basic types of polymerization, chain-reaction (or addition) and step-reaction (or condensation) polymerization.
What are the different types of polymerization reaction?
- Condensation Polymerization.
- Polyamides.
- Polyesters.
- Phenol-Formaldehyde Polymer.
- Melamine – Formaldehyde Polymer.
- Also Read: Chemical Bonding.
What is unique about polymers?
Because of their structure, polymers have unique properties that can be tailored for different uses. Polymers are both man-made and naturally occurring. Rubber, for example, is a natural polymeric material that has been used for thousands of years.
How do polymers differ from small chemical compounds?
Unlike simpler pure compounds, most polymers are not composed of identical molecules. The HDPE molecules, for example, are all long carbon chains, but the lengths may vary by thousands of monomer units. Because of this, polymer molecular weights are usually given as averages.
What are some properties of polymers?
Some of the useful properties of various engineering polymers are high strength or modulus to weight ratios (light weight but comparatively stiff and strong), toughness, resilience, resistance to corrosion, lack of conductivity (heat and electrical), color, transparency, processing, and low cost.
What is the role of polymers in organic chemistry?
Organic polymers play a crucial role in living things, providing basic structural materials and participating in vital life processes. For example, the solid parts of all plants are composed of polymers. These include cellulose, lignin, and various resins.
What process is used to produce polymers?
polymerization, any process in which relatively small molecules, called monomers, combine chemically to produce a very large chainlike or network molecule, called a polymer.
What are the advantages of polymers over metals?
Polymers are more resistant to chemicals than their metal counterparts. Polymer parts do not require post-treatment finishing efforts, unlike metal. Polymer and composite materials are up to ten times lighter than typical metals. Polymers are naturally radar absorbent as well as thermally and electrically insulating.
Is polymerization endothermic or exothermic?
Generally, polymerization is an exothermic reaction. The polymerisation is the reaction in which the monomers combine to form polymers.
What is polymerization reaction give an example?
This process is called polymerisation.
E.g. : Formation of polyethene form ethene and reaction of hexamethylene diamine and adipic acid leading to the formation of Nylon 6,6 are examples of two different types of polymerisation reactions .
How can you classify the polymerization process?
There are two main classes of polymerization reaction mechanisms: step-growth polymerization and chain-growth polymerization.
What are some reasons why polymers are so widely used?
Both natural and synthetic polymers are remarkably involved in comfort and facilitation of human life and are responsible for life itself, for medication, nutrition, communication, transportation, irrigation, container, clothing, recording history, buildings, highways, etc.
Why do polymers have different properties?
Why do different polymers have different properties? Answer: They have different chemical compositions (different monomer units), different structures, different ways of being fabricated, etc.
Why are polymers so useful?
Polymers help us to save energy, with lighter vehicles and insulated buildings; package consumable goods; reduce land use and fertilisers, thanks to synthetic fibres; preserve other materials using coatings; and save lives by way of countless medical applications.
How is a polymer different from a simple molecular solid?
Pure crystalline solids have definite melting points, but polymers, if they melt at all, exhibit a more complex behavior. At low temperatures, the tangled polymer chains tend to behave as rigid glasses.
What does polymer mean in chemistry?
Polymers are substances composed of macromolecules, very large molecules with molecular weights ranging from a few thousand to as high as millions of grams/mole.
How do you distinguish between monomers and polymers?
- A polymer is a macroscopic material built from a large number of repeating single units bound together.
- A monomer is a single repeating unit that is covalently bound to form polymers.
- Polymers are complex molecules with very high molecular weight.
- Monomers are simple molecules with low molecular weights.
What is polymer and its characteristics?
Monomers / Polymers / Mers. Monomers: The simple molecules that are covalently bonded into long chains are called monomers. Long chain molecule formed from the monomer units is called a polymer. The chemical process by which the. monomers are chemically combined into.
What factors affect polymer properties?
Numerous factors affect various mechanical properties of polymers, in- cluding molecular weight, processing, extent and distribution of crystallinity, composition of polymer, and use temperature.
What do polymer properties depend on?
The physical properties of a polymer such as its strength and flexibility depend on chain length, side groups present, branching, and cross-linking.
Are polymers organic or inorganic chemistry?
The polymers can be classified as organic and inorganic polymers. It is well known that organic polymers consist primarily of carbon and hydrogen atoms and frequently along with some heteroatom such as oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur.
What do all polymers have in common?
A polymer is made up of a number of joined-together monomers. One way of thinking about polymers is like a chain of connected-up paperclips. A polymer is a large molecule made up of smaller, joined-together molecules called monomers.
Which of the following is true for polymers?
Which of the following is true for polymers? Explanation: Polymeric molecules are aggregates of a large number of monomer units and possess high molecular mass.