UNIVERSITI TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN

Faculty : Faculty of Engineering & Science Unit Code : UEMK4263

Course : CL Unit Title : Polymer Engineering and

Application

Year/

Trimester

:

Year 4/ Trimester 2

Lecturer/

Tutor

: Dr Lee Tin Sin

Ir Dr Tee Tiam Ting

Session : 201205 Date : Week 3

Tutorial No.1

1. A polymer sample combines five different molecular0wegith fractions, each of equal weight.

The molecular weights of these fractions increase from 20,000 to 100,000 in increments of

20,000. Calculaten

M , w

M and z

M . Does this sample to have a broad or narrow molecular

weight distribution.

2. The tensile strength and number-average molecular weight for two poly(methyl methacrylate)

materials are 108 MPa at n

M 40,000 g/mol and 175 MPa at n

M 60,000 g/mol. Estimate the

tensile strength at the n

M 30,000 g/mol.

3. For each of the following pairs of polymers, do the following: (1) State whether it is possible to

decide whether on polymer has a higher tensile modulus than the other; (2) if this is possible,

note which has the higher tensile modulus and then cite the reason(s) for your choice: and (3) if

it is not possible to decide, then state why.

a. Random acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer with 10% of possible sites crosslinked;

alternating acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer with 5% of possible sites crosslinked.

b. Branched and syndiotactic polypropylene with degree of polymerization of 5000; linear

and isotactic polypropylene with a degree of polymerization 3000

c. Branched polyethylene with a number average molecular weight of 250,000 g/mol;

linear and isotactic poly(vinyl chloride) with a number average molecular weight of

200,000 g/mol

d. Network polyester; lightly branched polypropylene.

4. Would you expect the tensile strength of polychlorotrifluoroethylene to be greater than, the

same as or less than that of a polytetrafluoroethylene specimen having the same molecular

weight and degree of crystallinity? Why?

5. Name the following polymer(s) that would be suitable for the fabrication of cups to contain hot

coffee: polyethylene, polypropylene, poly(vinyl chloride), PET polyester, and polycarbonate.

Why?

6. List the two molecular characteristics that are essential for elastic.