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AQA A Level Chemistry > 3.12 Polymers > Flashcards

3.12 Polymers Flashcards

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1
Q

Name 3 examples of condensation polymers

A
  • polyamides
  • polyesters
  • polypeptides
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2
Q

What are polyamides made out of?

A

Dicarboxylic acids + diamines

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3
Q

Polyamides

State the name of the bond that forms between the carboxyl
groups and amino groups

A

Amide link

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4
Q

Name 2 examples of polyamides

A
  1. Nylon 6,6
  2. Kevlar
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5
Q

State what nylon 6,6 is made from

A

1,6-diaminohexane + hexanedioic acid

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6
Q

Name some uses of nylon 6,6

A

Used to make clothing, carpet, rope, airbags and parachutes

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7
Q

Draw an equation showing how nylon 6,6 is formed

A
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8
Q

State what kevlar is made from

A

1,4-diaminobenzene and benzene-1,4-dicarboxylic acid

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9
Q

Name some uses of kevlar

A

Used in bulletproof vests, boat construction, car tyres and lightweight spots equipment

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10
Q

Draw an equation showing how kevlar is formed

A
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11
Q

What are polyesters made out of?

A

Dicarboxylic acids + diols

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12
Q

Polyesters

State the name of the bond that forms between the carboxyl
groups and hydroxyl groups

A

Ester link

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13
Q

Name an example of polyester

A

Terylene (PET)

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14
Q

State what terylene (PET) is made from

A

Benzene-1,4-dicarboxylic acid and ethane-1,2diol

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15
Q

Name some uses of terylene (PET)

A

Used in plastic bottles, clothing, sheets and sails

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16
Q

Draw an equation showing how terylene (PET) is formed

A
17
Q

Hydrolysis

Draw the original monomers

A
18
Q

Condensation polymers are ______ than addition polymers

A

stronger & more rigid

19
Q

Why are condensation polymers stronger & more rigid than addition polymers?

A
  • ∵ made up of chains contains polar bonds e.g. C-N and C-O
  • ∴ have Van der Waals forces, permanent dipole-dipole forces and hydrogen bonds between polymer chains
20
Q

Why are polyalkenes (addition polymers) non-biodegradable and won’t react when being used?

A

Have non-polar C-C bonds = unreactive and chemically inert

21
Q

Why are condensation polymers biodegradable?

A
  • polar bonds (e.g. C=O) in chains = open to attack by nucleophiles
  • ∴ can be broken down by hydrolysis
  • ∴ are biodegradable but process is very slow
22
Q

Name 3 ways of disposing waste plastics

A
  • Burying in landfill
  • Burning as fuel
  • Recycling
23
Q

When are plastics placed in landfills?

A

When plastic is:

  • Difficult to separate from other waste
  • Not in sufficient quantities to make separation financially worthwhile
  • Too difficult technically to recycle
24
Q

Name an advantage of using landfills to dispose plastics

A

Landfill is cheap and easy method of waste disposal

25
Q

Name 3 disadvantages of using landfills to dispose plastics

A
  • Requires areas of land
  • As waste decomposes, can release methane = greenhouse effect
  • Leaks from landfill contaminate water supplies
26
Q

What is an advantage of burning plastics (excluding its cost and ease)?

A

Heat can be used to generate electricity

27
Q

Why when burning waste plastics, does the process need to be carefully controlled?

A

To reduce release of toxic gases

e.g. polymers that contain chlorine (PVC) produce HCl when burned = has to be removed

28
Q

Burning Waste Plastics

How is the release of toxic gases reduced?

A

Waste gases from combustion as passed through scrubbers which neutralise gases like HCl by allowing them to react with a base

29
Q

What is a disadvantage of burning waste plastics?

A

Waste gases e.g. CO2 will still contributed to greenhouse effect

30
Q

Name 2 ways to recycle plastics

A
  • Some plastics can be melted and remoulded
  • Some plastics can be cracked into monomers & these can be used to make more plastics or other chemicals
31
Q

Name 4 advantages of recycling waste plastics

A
  • Reduces amount of waste going into landfill
  • Saves raw materials, oil = non-renewable
  • Cost of recycling plastics is lower than making plastics from scratch
  • Produces less CO2 emissions than burning plastic
32
Q

Name 4 disadvantages of recycling waste plastics

A
  • It is technically difficult to recycle plastics
  • Collecting, sorting and processing plastic is more expensive than burning/landfill
  • Often can’t remake the plastic you started with, have to make something else
  • Plastic can be easily contaminated during the recycling process
33
Q

Name the molecule

A

1,4-butanedioic acid

AQA A Level Chemistry (36 decks)

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