Polymers Meyer (2014) suggests that a contemporary culture could not long endure without the goods or products that the polymer industry provides (p. 607). These polymeric products include clothing, household/office, indoor and outdoor gadgets, and furnishings that are manufactured from natural and synthetic polymers. Polymers are not ordinarily considered hazardous materials since they are stable at ambient conditions; however, most of the products burn and produce toxic gases (Meyer, 2014). Because of their widespread use, it is of benefit to understand why and how they can pose hazards, especially during fires. For this unit, we will study the features and structural characteristics of commonly encountered polymers as well as the hazards that they pose when they burn. What are polymers? The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) education website defines polymers as substances or macromolecules that “are composed of very large molecules with molecular weights ranging from a few thousand to as high as millions of grams/mole” (n.d., para. 1). For additional information on polymers, visit http://www.iupac.org/polyedu/page33/page33.html. The structure of a macromolecule is essentially comprised of multiple repetitions of units derived, actually or conceptually, from molecules of low molecular mass. Polymers can be natural or synthetic, but most of us probably associate polymers with the synthetic ones such as plastic. Examples of natural polymers include protein, starch, cellulose, and DNA that make up most of the structures of living tissue. Synthetic polymers include polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polycarbonate, and polyethylene. UNIT VII STUDY GUIDE Chemistry of Toxic Substances BOS 3640, Interactions of Hazardous Materials 2 UNIT x STUDY GUIDE Title Types of synthetic polymers: Synthetic polymers are often referred to as plastics, and most of them can be classified into the categories of elastomers, thermoplastics, and thermosets: Thermoplastics are polymers that soften when heated but return to their original condition on cooling to ambient temperature (e.g., polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene). Thermosets are polymers that cannot be remolded once they have solidified, such as polyurethane. Elastomers have elasticity like rubber (Polymer Science Learning Center, 2005). Polymerization is the chemical reaction during which monomers are linked and cross-linked to form polymers. The polymerization reaction is characterized by the macromolecule/polymer that is produced (see Figures 14.1 and 14.2 of the textbook). According to Meyer (2014), chemists have found when they examined the three-dimensional structure of polymers that the chains of repeating units are invariably cross-linked as shown in Figure 14.3 of the textbook. Note the following information about polymers: Intentional cross-linking technique for polymers is used during the production of thermoset plastics to make the polymer denser, stronger, and even elastic.

1. Polymers Meyer (2014) suggests that a contemporary culture
could not long endure without the goods or products that the
polymer industry provides (p. 607). These polymeric products
include clothing, household/office, indoor and outdoor gadgets,
and furnishings that are manufactured from natural and
synthetic polymers. Polymers are not ordinarily considered
hazardous materials since they are stable at ambient conditions;
however, most of the products burn and produce toxic gases
(Meyer, 2014). Because of their widespread use, it is of benefit
to understand why and how they can pose hazards, especially
during fires. For this unit, we will study the features and
structural characteristics of commonly encountered polymers as
well as the hazards that they pose when they burn. What are
polymers? The International Union of Pure and Applied
Chemistry (IUPAC) education website defines polymers as
substances or macromolecules that “are composed of very large
molecules with molecular weights ranging from a few thousand
to as high as millions of grams/mole” (n.d., para. 1). For
additional information on polymers, visit
http://www.iupac.org/polyedu/page33/page33.html. The
structure of a macromolecule is essentially comprised of
multiple repetitions of units derived, actually or conceptually,
from molecules of low molecular mass. Polymers can be natural
or synthetic, but most of us probably associate polymers with
the synthetic ones such as plastic. Examples of natural polymers
include protein, starch, cellulose, and DNA that make up most
of the structures of living tissue. Synthetic polymers include
polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polycarbonate, and polyethylene.
UNIT VII STUDY GUIDE Chemistry of Toxic Substances BOS
3640, Interactions of Hazardous Materials 2 UNIT x STUDY
GUIDE Title Types of synthetic polymers: Synthetic polymers
are often referred to as plastics, and most of them can be
classified into the categories of elastomers, thermoplastics, and
thermosets: Thermoplastics are polymers that soften when

2. heated but return to their original condition on cooling to
ambient temperature (e.g., polyvinyl chloride (PVC),
polyethylene). Thermosets are polymers that cannot be
remolded once they have solidified, such as polyurethane.
Elastomers have elasticity like rubber (Polymer Science
Learning Center, 2005). Polymerization is the chemical reaction
during which monomers are linked and cross-linked to form
polymers. The polymerization reaction is characterized by the
macromolecule/polymer that is produced (see Figures 14.1 and
14.2 of the textbook). According to Meyer (2014), chemists
have found when they examined the three-dimensional structure
of polymers that the chains of repeating units are invariably
cross-linked as shown in Figure 14.3 of the textbook. Note the
following information about polymers: Intentional cross-
linking technique for polymers is used during the production of
thermoset plastics to make the polymer denser, stronger, and
even elastic. Macromolecular chains within polymers can also
be folded, coiled, stacked, looped, or intertwined into definite
three-dimensional shapes. Polymer manufacturers sometimes
discover that their products are too stiff and brittle for their
intended use. These undesirable features can often be overcome
by adding a plasticizer to the polymer. This is usually a liquid
that manufacturers use to dissolve the polymer. These
processes are accomplished primarily by unique chemical
reactions called addition and condensation. For information
about addition polymerization, see the example illustration in
the textbook, which shows how the polymers can be formed by
the addition of the same units (starting with the styrene
monomer). For more examples of polymers formed by addition
polymerization, see Table 14.1 of the textbook. A common
example of the condensation polymerization process is the
reaction between alcohol and organic acids. In the textbook, the
example illustrates that the monomer ethylene glycol can be
reacted with succinic acid (an organic acid) to form an
intermediate product. This intermediate product has reactive
groups that will form more intermediate products that will get

3. more complex as the reactions continue until the end product is
formed. In this example, the polymer produced is polyester. See
Table 14.2 for more examples of this type of polymerization
reaction. It is also important to note polymer decomposition and
combustion. Most products produced from natural and synthetic
polymers are combustible when exposed to an ignition source.
According to Meyer (2014), most products often melt and
thermally decompose into the monomers from which they were
made. This melting is associated with both beneficial and
detrimental effects. Other general features associated with their
combustion are discussed on pages 617-618 (e.g., flashover).
Flashover is the spread of fire from the burning area to other
areas physically isolated from the initial source of the fire.
Firefighters need to be concerned with this phenomenon. They
should also be concerned with the smoke generated and the
voluminous amount of toxic gases produced not just from the
polymers, but from non-polymeric products that may also burn
during a fire. Vegetable and animal fibers: Many common
textiles are produced from naturally occurring vegetable and
animal fibers. Cotton and linen are examples of vegetable
fibers; whereas, wool and silk are examples of animal fibers.
These naturally occurring fibers may be used to produce
textiles, or they can be chemically altered to produce synthetic
fibers from which the textiles are produced. Vegetable and
animal fibers are often mixed with combustible oil such that the
DOT regulates their transportation as hazardous materials.
Synthetic polymers that are commonly encountered are
discussed in detail in the textbook. They include Polyvinyl
polymers: These are produced from multiple vinyl compounds.
Other examples of this polymer are polyethylene,
polypropylene, and polyvinyl chloride. Epoxy resins
Formaldehyde-derived polymers BOS 3640, Interactions of
Hazardous Materials 3 UNIT x STUDY GUIDE Title
Polyurethane: All polyurethane burns when exposed to
sufficient heat (Meyer, 2014). Heat and fire resistant polymers
Rubber and rubber products Natural rubber Synthetic rubbers

4. Responding to incidents involving the burning of rubber: To
understand the substances produced when rubber products burn,
we need to recall the general features and constituents of their
chemical formulations. According to Meyer (2014), As they
burn, rubber products vulcanized with sulfur or sulfur-bearing
compounds produce carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and water
vapor. The smoke associated with rubber fires is
extraordinarily dense and black. To prevent or reduce
respiratory concerns or fatalities among firefighters, the use of
self-contained breathing apparatus is always warranted (pp.
641-642). The polymer industry has dramatically altered our
way of life, so environmental health and safety (EHS) and fire
science (FS) professionals, especially responders, will
encounter them virtually everywhere. Because they are stable in
ambient conditions, they are not ordinarily considered
hazardous materials. However, most polymeric products burn
and generate toxic gases on combustion. For these reasons, the
burning of polymers is a topic of great concern, especially to
firefighters.
References
International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry. (2013).
What are polymers? Who were the pioneers of
polymer science? Retrieved from
http://www.iupac.org/polyedu/page33/page33.html
Meyer, E. (2014). Chemistry of hazardous materials (6th ed.).
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Polymer Science Learning Center. (2005). Elastomers.
Retrieved from http://pslc.ws/macrog/elas.htm
Suggested Reading
I upload, hope you learn loads. (2008). The production of
rubber gloves [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-
sLHYvqT7I&index=1&list=PLyvpvW57tzqEKzgZ9X8sJI8m8ui

5. 2RLzn
International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry. (2013).
What are polymers? Who were the pioneers of
polymer science? Retrieved from
http://www.iupac.org/polyedu/page33/page33.html
Polymer Science Learning Center. (2005). Elastomers.
Retrieved from http://pslc.ws/macrog/elas.htm
SoleFerry. (2013). How it’s made – natural rubber [Video file].
Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKq42J7SaWw
Yoshina Shinji. (2011). What is Kevlar [Video file]? Retrieved
from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pz8Tjr1ToRk
READ ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS BELOW
GETTING STARTED: This assignment will focus on an
established non-profit organization
called Engineers Without Borders. This organization’s website
can be found here:
http://www.ewb-usa.org/. Its Principles of Development are
found here:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/ewbgeneral/EWB-USA_Principles-
of-Development.pdf. This
information will be necessary to complete this Project.
SCENARIO: Assume that classmates will be serving three
weeks as volunteers for Engineers
Without Borders in construction, electronics, building design,
or a similar rebuilding capacity in
ONE of these countries: Philippines, Nicaragua, Macedonia,
Togo, or Nepal. The type of project
is irrelevant at this point; we will address that later. Conduct
research and create a set of

6. procedures that will prepare individuals for arriving in the
country, avoiding diseases common to
that area, and dealing with medical issues in that specific
country (BE SURE TO IDENTIFY
THE COUNTRY).
Topics under what to pack and arriving in the country include
types of clothing, special toiletries
for the region, extras like personal entertainment, passport or
visa information, and the like.
Topics under health concerns might include safe food and water,
insect protection, vaccinations,
medical emergency contingencies, protection from the
occasional gun fire, and the like. Be sure
to provide background on the specific health risks travelers will
face.
YOUR TASK: Design your procedures as an attractive two-
sided, three-fold brochure. Begin
your research for this project by researching the country to
determine what its requirements for
outsiders are. Then go to the National Centers for Disease
Control’s website at
www.cdc.gov/travel and list procedures for being health and
safe. Don’t just copy information
from it and paste it into your document, though; use your own
concise words.
FORMATTING: Use bulleted or numbered lists as appropriate
and clip art or pictures as
appropriate. Remember, you are reflecting a professional
organization. The brochure will be
produced by Engineers Without Borders and should indicate so
somewhere in the brochure. It
will be distributed to those engineers or workers traveling with
the organization.

7. OBJECTIVES: A successful tri-fold brochure will follow the
guidelines for instructions and
procedures as listed on the Checklist below.
• • Contain an informative, concise title
• • Display a logical organization and attractive page design.
• • Display proper grammar and mechanics.
• • Present material with concision, clarity, and fluency.
• • Use headings effectively and arrange steps in a numbered
list if appropriate
• • Keep the visual (if any) and text explaining the visual close
together.
• • Keep the instructions simple, yet effective. Include enough
information that your
reader can comply with the instructions but no so much that the
reader is confused.
Read the incident scenario, and write a response that is at least
three pages in length. Your response must include answers to
the questions being asked. All sources used, including the
textbook, must be referenced. Paraphrased and/or quoted
materials must have accompanying in-text and reference
citations in APA format.
Scenario: You are the Refinery Emergency Response
Coordinator for an incident at the SJV Refinery which has been
in operation since 1966. The refinery processes 120,000 bbls of
crude oil per day, which has a sulfur content of 2.5 percent. The
refinery converts crude oil to naptha, light oil, and heavy oils
using the Atmospheric/Vacuum Distillation Unit with key
equipment such as the following: naptha, kerosene, gasoline,

8. and diesel hydrotreaters; isomerization unit; naptha reformer;
fluid catalytic cracker; coker; hydrocracker; polymerization
unit (petrochemical section of the refinery polymerizing olefin
gases to produce polyethylene); sulfur recovery Claus plant
(catalytic reactors); and distillate/gasoline blending tanks. The
refinery was initiating work on a major plant turnaround at the
time of the incident to complete required maintenance repairs,
mechanical integrity inspections, and modifications to existing
equipment. Twenty contractor companies (approximately 150
employees) have been contracted to perform this work under the
direction of refinery staff. All of the contractor workers
completed the refinery orientation training. Work for the
contractor crews is assigned/scheduled each morning. On the
day of the incident, the day-shift (6 am to 6 pm) crew had been
tasked with isolating the acid gas feed stream for the Claus unit.
Due to other work priorities, the crew did not isolate the line as
planned. A shift turnover for the night contractor crew did not
happen due to mandatory safety training that delayed their
arrival at the worksite. Upon their arrival at the work site, the
night crew held a job safety analysis (JSA) review of the
scheduled task (line breaking of the acid gas feed line to replace
a segment) to be performed and the hazards present. No
pressure gauges or monitoring was present to indicate that the
acid gas feed line was operational. The crew initiated the line
breaking activity (open the line to the atmosphere) at
approximately 7:45 pm under self-contained breathing apparatus
(SCBA), which almost immediately resulted in the uncontrolled
release of acid gas. A nearby ignition source from a welding
operation ignited the flammable gas. The following actions were
initially taken: The evacuation alarm was sounded and the
refinery emergency response team (ERT) was activated. The
plant manager and the local fire department were notified of the
incident. The incident command was established at the refinery
office near the main refinery access gate to the south (this is the
furthest distance within the refinery boundary from the incident
location). The refinery ERT incident commander implemented

9. actions required under the approved refinery emergency
response plan. The ERT was not able to immediately isolate the
acid gas feed pipeline. The fire department arrived on location
and assumed the incident command of the event. Additional
Relevant Information: The refinery encompasses an area
measuring 2000 feet by 1400 feet. The Claus unit is located in
the most northern part of the refinery, approximately 1350 feet
from the main refinery access gate to the south. The
polymerization unit is operating directly adjacent to the Claus
unit. BOS 3640, Interactions of Hazardous Materials 4 The
nearest residential community is located approximately 1000
feet to the northeast of the refinery. A plastic recycling plant is
located along the south fence boundary of the refinery. A major
interstate highway runs directly parallel to the plant,
approximately 1/4 of a mile directly north of the refinery. The
ambient temperature on the day of the incident was 85° F and
the wind was blowing at 7 mph from the southwest to the
northeast. Work crews were scheduled to work 12-hour shifts,
24-hours a day, to complete the refinery turnaround. Due to the
age of the refinery, SJV has implemented a robust mechanical
integrity program. The refinery has a trained ERT that can
respond to incidents. Fixed water monitors are present
throughout the refinery to extinguish refinery equipment fires.
The refinery ERT does not fight fires past the incipient stage.
The refinery has received notices of violation (NOVs) from the
local air district in the past several years due to gas and liquid
leaks from piping components, such as valves,
compressor/pump seals, and for excess sodium dioxide (SO2)
emissions related with their sulfur plant. Due to historical
discharges of organic compounds, groundwater monitoring
wells are present down gradient of the facility. Groundwater
underlying the plant has historically been encountered at 30 feet
below ground surface. Hydrogen sulfide is present in the acid
gas feed to the Claus plant. The H2S concentration of the acid
gas feed is approximately 70 percent by volume. H2S and sulfur
dioxide (SO2) have the following physical properties:

10. Physical Property H2S
SO2
Specific Gravity at 68oF (20oC) 1.54
1.4
Vapor Density (Air=1) 1.18
2.22
Flashpoint -116oF (-82.4oC)
Not Applicable
Autoignition Point 500oF (260oC)
Not Applicable
Lower Explosive Limit 4.3%
Not Applicable
Upper Explosive Limit 46%
Not Applicable I
DLH 100 ppm
100 ppm
Questions: 1. Discuss the hazards posed by the interaction of
the hazardous materials present at the refinery and adjacent
facilities, including the resulting by-products of the incident
fire and acid gas release.
2. As the lead refinery representative on the unified incident
command (UIC), what actions should be taken by the UIC to
respond to this incident (please consider all receptors).
3. If the polymerization unit is engulfed in the fire, how will
this affect your response?
4. All emergency responders participated in the post-incident
critique. What corrective actions should be implemented by the
refinery to prevent the reoccurrence of this incident?
· Please consult your syllabus for information regarding the
Unit VII Case Study
·
. The paper must be at least 3 pages in length
. Case Study: Please note that the grade for your report will
drop a letter grade (10 points) per 25% similarly (i.e., greater

11. than 25% = -10; 50% = -20; 75% = -30) in addition to the final
grade. Please consult your syllabus for further instructions
regarding the assignment.
· Unit VII Assessment & Discussion Board are due this week
·
. Please be sure to make at least 2 post per week to the
Discussion Board to receive full credit.
· Include citations and APA formatted references in your unit
assessment essays and case study