polymers conceptual physical science

1. 9.3 POLYMERS

2.  A WORD POLYMER IS A COMBINATION OF TWO GREEK WORDS, “POLY”
MEANS “MANY” AND “MEROS” MEANING “PARTS OR UNITS”.
A POLYMER IS A LARGE MOLECULE WHICH IS FORMED BY REPEATED LINKING OF
THE SMALL MOLECULES CALLED “MONOMERS”.
MORE MONOMER MOLECULES JOINED IN UNITS OF LONG POLYMER.

3. CHARACTERISTICS OF POLYMERS
 LOW DENSITY.
 LOW COEFFICIENT OF FRICTION.
 GOOD CORROSION RESISTANCE.
 GOOD MOLD ABILITY.
 EXCELLENT SURFACE FINISH CAN BE OBTAINED.
 ECONOMICAL.
 POOR TENSILE STRENGTH.
 POOR TEMPERATURE RESISTANCE.
 CAN BE PRODUCED TRANSPARENT OR IN DIFFERENT COLORS

4. APPLICATION OF POLYMERS
1. MEDICINE:- MANY BIOMATERIALS, ESPECIALLY HEART VALVE REPLACEMENTS AND BLOOD
VESSELS, ARE MADE OF POLYMERS LIKE DACRON, TEFLON AND POLYURETHANE.
2. CONSUMER SCIENCE :- PLASTIC CONTAINERS OF ALL SHAPES AND SIZES ARE LIGHT WEIGHT
AND ECONOMICALLY LESS EXPENSIVE THAN THE MORE TRADITIONAL CONTAINERS. CLOTHING,
FLOOR COVERINGS, GARBAGE DISPOSAL BAGS, AND PACKAGING ARE OTHER POLYMER
APPLICATIONS.
3. INDUSTRY:- AUTOMOBILE PARTS, WINDSHIELDS FOR FIGHTER PLANES, PIPES, TANKS,
PACKING MATERIALS, INSULATION, WOOD SUBSTITUTES, ADHESIVES, MATRIX FOR COMPOSITES,
AND ELASTOMERS ARE ALL POLYMER APPLICATIONS USED IN THE INDUSTRIAL MARKET.
4. SPORTS:- PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT, VARIOUS BALLS, GOLF CLUBS, SWIMMING
POOLS, AND PROTECTIVE HELMETS ARE OFTEN PRODUCED FROM POLYMERS.

5. CLASSIFICATION BASED ON SOURCE
1. NATURAL POLYMERS
-IS A POLYMER THAT RESULTS FROM ONLY RAW MATERIALS THAT ARE
FOUND IN NATURE. EXAMPLE:- PROTEINS, CELLULOSE, STARCH,
RUBBER.
SILK AND COTTON FABRICS ARE WOVEN FROM NATURAL POLYMER
FIBERS.

6. • 2. SYNTHETIC POLYMERS
• -DEVELOPED BY CHEMISTS IN RESEARCH LABORATORIES AND
MANUFACTURED IN FACTORIES EX. RUBBER, NYLON, POLYETHYLENE.
• POLAR FLEECE IS MADE FROM A SYNTHETIC POLYMER.
CLASSIFICATION BASED ON SOURCE

7. NATURAL POLYMERS
• FOUR TYPES OF POLYMERS PRODUCED IN PLANT AND ANIMAL CELLS ARE
STARCHES, CELLULOSE, NUCLEIC ACID, AND PROTEINS.
• STARCHES
• -CONTAINS HUNDREDS OF GLUCOSE MONOMERS.
• PLANTS STORE STARCHES FOR FOOD AND TO BUILD STEMS, SEEDS AND
ROOTS.
• FLOUR FOR THE BREAD IS MADE BY GRINDING THE SEEDS OF GRAINS
LIKE WHEAT AND CORN.
• SIMPLE SUGARS, SUCROSE, AND POLYMERS BUILT FROM SUGAR

8. • CELLULOSE
• -CONTAIN 3000 OR MORE GLUCOSE MONOMERS; GIVES
STRENGTH TO PLANT STEMS AND TREE TRUNKS
• THE CARBOHYDRATE CELLULOSE IS THE MAIN COMPONENT OF
COTTON AND WOOD. IT IS THE MOST ABUNDANT OF ALL ORGANIC
COMPOUNDS FOUND IN NATURE.
• MOST ANIMALS CANNOT DIGEST CELLULOSE.
NATURAL POLYMERS

9. • NUCLEIC ACID
• -MOLECULES IN A CELL THAT SORE
INFORMATION ABOUT ITS STRUCTURES
AND FUNCTIONS
• -LARGE NITROGEN CONTAINING
POLYMERS FOUND MAINLY IN THE
NUCLEI OF CELLS.
• TWO TYPES: DNA & RNA
NATURAL POLYMERS

10. • PROTEINS
• - A POLYMER IN WHICH AT LEAST 100 AMINO ACID MONOMERS ARE LINKED
THROUGH BONDS BETWEEN AN AMINO GROUP AND A CARBOXYL GROUP.
• AMINO ACID- A COMPOUND THAT CONTAINS BOTH CARBOXYL AND AMINO
FUNCTIONAL GROUP IN THE SAME MOLECULES
• THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING PROTEINS ARE STORED IN THE DNA.
• PROTEINS MAKE UP THE FIBERS OF YOUR MUSCLES, YOUR HAIR, FINGERNAILS
AND THE HEMOGLOBIN IN YOUR BLOOD.
• YOUR BODY MAY CONTAIN AS MANY AS 300,000 DIFFERENT PROTEINS.
NATURAL POLYMERS

11. SYNTHETIC
POLYMERS
• RUBBER
• - THE SUPPLY OF NATURAL RUBBER IS
LIMITED SO CHEMISTS WORKED HARD TO
PRODUCE RUBBER USING
HYDROCARBONS FROM PETROLEUM. TIRES
WILL RESIST WEAR AND BE LESS LIKELY TO
LEAK OF THEY ARE MADE OF SYNTHETIC
RUBBER; ALSO USED AS AN ADHESIVE;
USED TO MAKE ROPES AND PLASTIC
OBJECTS

12. • NYLON
• 1930- WALLACE CAROTHERS WAS TRYING
TO PRODUCE A SYNTHETIC POLYMER TO
REPLACE SILK, PRODUCED NYLON
INSTEAD
• VERY STRONG, DURABLE, SHINY
• USED IN PARACHUTES, WINDBREAKERS,
FISHING LINE, CARPETS AND ROPES
SYNTHETIC POLYMERS

13. • POLYETHYLENE
• - FORMS WHEN ETHYLENE MOLECULES LINK HEAD TO
TAIL. THE MORE CARBON ATOMS IN THE CHAIN THE
HARDER THE POLYMER
• -USED TO MAKE PLASTIC MILK BOTTLES, PLASTIC WRAP,
PLASTIC SHAPES
SYNTHETIC POLYMERS