Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
– Carbohydrates such as starch and cellulose consist of monomers known as glucose joined
together chemically.
polymerisation
glucose carbohydrates
(monomers) (polymer)
SYNTHETIC POLYMERS
• Synthetic polymer is a polymer that is manufactured in industry from chemical
substances through the polymerisation process. Through research, scientists are now able
to copy the structure of natural polymers to produce synthetic polymers.
• Plastics, synthetic fibres and elastomers are examples of synthetic polymers.
• The raw materials for the manufacture of synthetic polymers are distillates of petroleum.
• However, most of them can be classified in at least three main categories:
thermoplastics, fibres and elastomers.
Thermoplastics
– is a polymer which, when subjected to heat, becomes soft so they can be moulded into
various shapes.
– the properties of plastics are : light, strong, inert to chemicalssuch as acids and alkali
and are insulators of electricity and heat.
– examples of plastics are polyethylene (PE), polyvinylchloride (PVC), polypropylene
(PP), polystyrene, Perspex and Bakelite.
Synthetic fibres
– are long chained polymers that withstand stretching.
– examples of synthetic fibres are nylon and Terylene.
– Nylon is used to make ropes, fishing lines, stocking, clothing and parachutes.
– Terylene is used to make clothing, sleeping bags and fishing nets. Clothes made from
Terylene do not crease easily.
Elastomer
– is a polymer that can regain its original shape after being stretched or pressed.
– both natural rubber and synthetic rubber are examples of elastomer.
– examples of synthetic rubbers are neoprene and styrene – butadiene rubber ( SBR )
– SBR is used to make car tyres.
• The two types of polymerisation are:
– polymerisation by addition .
– polymerisation by condensation .
• Polymerisation by addition involves monomers with >C = C< bonding, where the
monomers join together to make a long chain without losing any simple molecules from
it. Examples of polymers produced through this process are polythene, PVC perspex and
other plastics.