1

Polymer

Group 2
What is a polymer?
A long molecule made up
from lots of small molecules
called monomers.
A Polymer consists of a large
chain of repeating molecules
(monomers) that are
attached in an end to end
fashion
Polymers make up many of the materials in living
organisms, including, for example, proteins, cellulose,
and nucleic acids.
 3

POLYMERIZATION :
The forming of a compound by the joining together
of molecules of small molecular weights into a
compound of large molecular weight.
Monomer + Monomer + Monomer + Monomer
Mcr - Mcr - Mcr – Mcr
Polymers have had an enormous impact on
dentistry
used as sealants, bonding materials, restorative
materials, Veneering materials,
denture bases, denture teeth, and impression
materials.
 Synthetic and Biological Polymers 4

Polymers: Macromolecules formed by the covalent

attachment of a set of small molecules termed monomers.

Polymers are classified as:

(1) Man-made or synthetic polymers that are
synthesized in the laboratory;
(2) Biological polymer that are found in nature.
Synthetic polymers: nylon, poly-ethylene, poly-
styrene
Biological polymers: DNA, proteins,
carbohydrates
 5
CLASSIFICATION OF
POLYMERS
Man-made or synthetic 6

polymers
Man-made or synthetic
polymers
is an industrially produced
chemical substance consisting
of monomers linked together
by covalent bonds. Most
things humans use on a daily
basis are synthetic
polymers (Ex: money, super
glue, plastics, etc.)
 7

Biological polymer
- natural polymers are proteins
and nucleic acid that occur in
human body,
cellulose, natural rubber, silk,
and wool. Starch is a natural
polymer that is made up of
hundreds of glucose
molecules,
similarly natural rubber is
a polymer obtained from the
latex of a rubber tree.
natural rubber
Polymers in Starch
Biology
DNA

Sugar Proteins
NATURAL POLYMERS 9

The polymers which are found naturally is called

natural Polymer.
Natural polymers tend to be readily
biodegradable.
All living things plants, animals, and people are
made of polymers. Natural polymers are:
 Cellulose
 Starch
 Lignin
 Protein
 Rubber
 Nucleic acid
 Carbohydrates
 PROTEINS
10

Proteins are polymers made out of amino acids. They're

naturally occurring, meaning they're made by animals,
plants, bugs, fungi, and other living things. So, proteins
are polymers of amino acids

Amino acids have an amino end

and an acid end. In the middle
is a C (carbon) with an H
(hydrogen) and a side group
shown here as an R.
Three D representation of the structure of a protein 11
SYNTHETIC POLYMERS 12

Synthetic polymers is a polymer that is manufactured

in industry from chemical substances through the
polymerization process. Man made polymers are called
Synthetic polymer.
Synthetic polymers are:
 Nylon
 Polyester
 Polyethylene
 PVC
 Polycarbonate
 Epoxy Resins
 Polystyrene
 Polypropylene
 Teflon
 13

TYPES OF POLYMERIZATIONN
Addition Polymerization 14

Addition polymerization occurs among the molecules containing

double or triple bonds

No small molecules are liberated and reaction is rapid

chain type reaction.

 Monomers add sequentially to the end of a

growing chain
 Is very fast and exothermic
 Produces high molecular weight polymers
 In other words the structure of the monomer
is repeated many times in the polymer
 15
Types of addition polymerizations
Free-radical polymerization Active center is a radical
(contains unpaired electron) and the propagating site
of reactivity is a carbon radical.

 Cationic polymerization The active center is an acid,

and the propagating site of reactivity is positively
charged

Anionic polymerization The active center is a

nucleophile, and the propagating site of reactivity is
negatively charged
Example of addition polymers 16
BASIC STEPS OF ADDITION 17

POLYMERIZATION

Initiation: Formation of free radical

Propagation: Combining of monomer to form chains
Termination: Elimination of free radical
Condensation Polymer 18

Condensation polymers are formed by the removal of water

(or alcohols) during polymerization and the final molecular
weight of the polymer is controlled by the equilibrium
concentration of water or alcohols in the molten polymer at
the end of the polymerization.
 Condensation polymerization 19

Condensation polymerization: the polymer grows from

monomers by splitting off a small molecule such as
water or carbon dioxide.

Example: formation of amide links and loss of water

Monomers

First unit of polymer + H2O

Polymers of Commercial Importance 20

Nylon is a synthetic
polymer used in textile and
fabric industries. Nylon 6
and nylon 6,6 is a type of
nylon. They have compact
molecular structure with
excellent abrasion
resistance. The monomers
are joined by hydrogen
bonding.
 PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) is a synthetic polymer 21
with various applications. It is of high molecular weight and
made up of mainly carbon and fluorine. It is used in cook-
wares such as non-stick pans.
 Polyvinyl chloride or PVC is formed after
22
polymerization of vinyl chloride monomer. It is most
commonly used in pipes, bottles, cards etc.
 Polyethylene terephthalate or PET is a thermoplastic 23
polymer used in containers, clothing, liquids and food.
The common word used for PET is terylene.
 Polypropylene is a thermoplastic polymer used in 24
packaging, textiles, reusable containers etc. Monomer
propylene polymerizes to form polypropylene.
 Polystyrene is formed by the polymerization of styrene 25
monomers. It is used for protective packing, bottles, lids,
disposable cutlery etc.
 26

Making Polymers
To make plastic, the recently formed or
extracted monomers must undergo several
physical and chemical transformations,
allowing them to become the building blocks
of plastic making: polymers.
These macromolecules, with various
chemical properties allowing the creation of
distinctly different types of resins, are also
submitted to different treatments depending
on the desired final product. Let us take a
look at the origins of plastic.
 How are polymers made? 27

Synthetic polymers are produced

by chemical reactions, termed
"polymerizations." ... Assorted
combinations of heat, pressure and
catalysis alter the chemical bonds
that hold monomers together,
causing them to bond with one
another. Most often, they do so in a
linear fashion, creating chains of
monomers called polymers.
28
 How plastic are made? 29

 Plastics are derived from

natural, organic materials such
as cellulose, coal, natural gas,
salt and, of course, crude oil.
Crude oil is a complex mixture
of thousands of compounds and
needs to be processed before it
can be used. The production of
plastics begins with the
distillation of crude oil in an oil
refinery.
 30
How plastic are made?
This separates the heavy crude
oil into groups of lighter
components, called fractions.
Each fraction is a mixture of
hydrocarbon chains (chemical
compounds made up of carbon
and hydrogen), which differ in
terms of the size and structure
of their molecules.
One of these fractions, naphtha,
is the crucial compound for the
production of plastics.
Kevlar

Strong Network of Covalent Bonds

And Polar Hydrogen Bonds
Vulcanization
33
CHARACTERISTICS OF 34

POLYMERS
 Low Density.
 Low coefficient of friction.
 Good corrosion resistance.
 Good mould ability.
 Excellent surface finish can be obtained.
 Can be produced with close dimensional tolerances.
 Economical.
 Poor tensile strength.
 Low mechanical properties.
 Poor temperature resistance.
 Can be produced transparent or in different colours.
 35
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
The physical properties of a polymer, such as its strength
and flexibility depend on:
 Chain length - in general, the longer the chains the
stronger the polymer;
 Side groups - polar side groups give stronger attraction
between polymer chains, making the polymer stronger;
 Branching - straight, un branched chains can pack
together more closely than highly branched chains, giving
polymers that are more crystalline and therefore stronger;
 Cross-linking - if polymer chains are linked together
extensively by covalent bonds, the polymer is harder and
more difficult to melt.
 36

 Linear Polymers:
A polymer in which the molecules form long
chains without branches or cross-linked
structures.
examples: nylon, polyester, PVC etc.
Branched Polymer:
37

A polymer chain having branch points that connect

three or more chain segments.
Examples: polythene, glycogen, starch etc
 Cross linked Polymer: 38

Cross-links are bonds that link one polymer chain to another. They can
be covalent bonds or ionic bonds.
Examples: malamine formaldehyde resin etc

Linear & Branched Polymers are know as thermoplastic

materials.

Cross linked Polymer are know as thermosetting materials.

Chain Length: 1000 - 2000

Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE)

Chain Length: 10,000 – 100,000

High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE)

Chain Length: 2-6 million

Ultra-high-molecular-weight
polyethylene (UHMWPE)
Joint
Replacement

Helmet

Gears
Rubber Tree

 Sap:
 Sticky
 Viscous
 Gooey

 Goodyear
 Experiment
 Luck
 Profit ($0)
Chain Length: 4,000 – 8,000

Polyethylene Terephthalate (PETE)

“Polyester”

Ester
 DISADVANTAGES OF 44

POLYMERS
 Low density
 Non bio-degradable
 Easily breakable
 Flame retardancy is low
 When polymers incorporated with additives are
burnt they emit a lot of poisonous gases into the
atmosphere
 Low molecular weight polymers (Polyethylene
bags) are difficult to recycle
 Improper disposal leads to environmental
pollution
 45

ADVANTAGES OF POLYMERS
 Low density
 Low absolute strength Stiffness
 Ultra durable
 Resistance to corrosion
 Thermal electrical insulator
 Flexible
 Cheaper
 Recyclable
 46
USES OF POLYMERS
BIO POLYMER USES
NON BIO POLYMER USES
 47

BIO POLYMER USES

 1- POTATO IS THE MAIN SOURCE OF STARCH
 2- STARCH IS ALSO PRESENT IN RICE
 3- MAIZE(CORN)
CELLULOSE 48

Uses of cellulose acetate

 Musical instruments
 Automobile steering wheels

Uses of cellulose nitrate

 Used for making tooth brushes
 Used for making, pencils, combs, buttons, etc
 Conclusions:
 Polymers make up all sorts of materials that
are all around us!
 They can have a huge range or material
properties based on their:
 Functional Groups
 Structure
 Backbone
 Keep thinking about how chemical
interactions on the nano-scale correspond
to material properties on the macro-scale
Links
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic_recycling
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alkane
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Higher_alkanes
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultra-high-molecular-weight_polyethylene
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycondensation
 http://www.chemistryland.com/ElementarySchool/BuildingBlocks/BuildingOrgani
c.htm
 http://www.ndt-
ed.org/EducationResources/CommunityCollege/Materials/Structure/polymer.htm
 http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/21c/materials/molecstructpro
pertiesrev3.shtml
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_der_Waals_force
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vulcanization
 http://www.scribd.com/doc/26766586/08-Polymers-Why-is-Rubber-Elastic
 http://www.ndt-
ed.org/EducationResources/CommunityCollege/Materials/Structure/polymer.htm