General Structure of Polymers
• Monomer – is a small molecule.
• Polymer – long chain-like molecule made up of a repeated pattern of monomers.
• Polymerization - is a chemical process by which monomers are joined to form polymers.
General Structure of Polymers
• Homopolymer – a polymer of a single type of monomer
– e.g. polyethylene – used to make plastic bags, plastic wrap, squeeze bottles…
General Structure of Polymers
• Copolymer – has two or more types of monomers combined to form the polymer chain
– e.g. SBS rubber – Poly(styrene-butadiene-styrene) is a hard rubber used for soles of shoes, tire treads…
Synthetic Addition Polymers
• An addition polymer is the result of the reaction between monomers with unsaturated C-C bonds.
– e.g. PTFE is also known as Teflon, the slippery surface that prevents food from sticking
Synthetic Addition Polymers
• Other addition polymers can be made from monomers containing methyl-, chloro-, cyano-and phenyl- substituents.
• In each case, the carbon-carbon double bond becomes a single bond.
• The variety of substituent groups leads to whole range of properties.
Example 1: Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)• polymer of the
chloroethene monomer
• used in pipes, construction materials, tiles, clothing, reusable bags, etc.
Example 2: Polystyrene• polymer of styrene (phenylethylene)
monomers
• used in heat-resistant disposable drinking cups, plastic toys, food containers, packaging material, etc.
Drawing a Polymer1. Draw three structural diagrams of the
monomer. Show each with the double-bonded carbon atoms in a line.
2. Remove the double bonds, replacing them with single bonds. Connect the monomers to each other with single bonds to form a chain.
3. Add lines at each end to indicate that this is just one segment of a longer polymer.
Drawing a Monomer
1. Identify the repeating unit.
2. Draw the repeating unit, replacing the single bond between the two carbon atoms with a double bond.
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