Unit: Material World

Topic:

Polymers
 Greek and Latin
Language in Science
 Both languages were spoken in Europe
 Ancient Greek was spoken from 850 BC
 Classical Latin was used from 75 BC
 Ancient Greek and Latin are languages that are not
spoken anymore.

Europe

Latin was
spoken here
Ancient Greek
was spoken
here
 “Plastic”
 Many English words have their roots in Greek
and Latin.
 Many words in Science have their roots in
Greek and Latin.
 The word “plastic” comes from the Greek word
plastikos
 This mean “able to be moulded”.
 Give me some examples of plastic items.
 Plastic

rigid or

flexible?
 Plastic

 Why do you think plastic is so common?

 Plastics as Polymers
 Plastic is a type of polymer
 The word “polymer” comes from Greek
 poly = many
 mer = unit
 The unit is called a “monomer”
 mono = one
 Monomer
chlorine (fluorine, nitrogen, etc) Most monomers are
based around the
element of carbon

carbon

a gaseous element
hydrogen oxygen such as hydrogen,
oxygen or chloride
Developments in Polymers
 Early polymers were
made from natural
rubber
 Natural rubber is
Hevea tree found in the Hevea
tree.
 Aztecs used it to
make primitive balls
for games

Aztecs with plastic ball

 Polymer

 Natural rubber is still

found in tyres and
latex products such
tyre
as hospital gloves.

latex hospital gloves

Polymerisation
 When monomers join
together to form
polymers the process
is called
polymerisation
 Some polymers you
may have heard of
include: PET, PVC,
POLYSTYRENE
 Co-polymers
 All of the plastics we have
looked at consist of
identical repeating
monomers
 Some polymers form
from two different
monomers. These are asphalt
driveway
called co-polymers and
can be very useful to
combine two properties
such as strength and
flexibility
sealants
 E.g. sealants for water-
(waterproofing), asphalt proofing