3.3.12 Polymers

Question 1

What is a polyester made up of?

Answer 1

Dicarboxylic acids and diols

Question 2

What is a polyamide made up of?

Answer 2

Dicarboxylic acids and diamines

Question 3

What does the hydrolysis of polymers under acidic conditions form?

Answer 3

Alcohol + carboxylic acid

Question 4

What does the hydrolysis of polymers under alkaline conditions form?

Answer 4

Alcohol + carboxylate ion

Question 5

What are the repeating units in terylene?

Answer 5

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

Question 6

What are the repeating units in Kevlar?

Answer 6

Benzene-1,4-dicarboxylic acid + 1,4-diaminobenzene

Question 7

What are the repeating units in nylon 6,6?

Answer 7

Hexanedioic acid + 1,6 diaminohexane

Question 8

What are the typical uses of nylon 6,6?

Answer 8

Clothing, carpet, rope, airbags, parachutes

Question 9

Why are the typical uses of Kevlar?

Answer 9

Bulletproof vests, boat construction, car tyres, lightweight sports equipment

Question 10

What are the typical uses of terylene?

Answer 10

Plastic bottles, clothing, sheets, sails, ready meal containers

Question 11

What forces exist between polymer chains? (3)

Answer 11

Van Der Waals
Permanent dipole-dipole - due to polar bonds
Hydrogen bonds

Question 12

What is the disadvantage of addition polymers

Answer 12

They are inert due to their non-polar bonds so they are non-biodegradable

Question 13

Why are condensation polymers biodegradable?

Answer 13

The polar bonds make the polymer susceptible to attack by nucleophiles

Question 14

Burying waste plastic - advantages (2)

Answer 14

Relatively cheap

Easier

Question 15

Burying waste plastic - disadvantages (3)

Answer 15

Requires areas of land
Releases methane as it decomposes
Can release toxins that can be washed away and contaminated water supplies

Question 16

Burning waste plastic - advantages (1)

Answer 16

Heat used to generate electricity

Question 17

Burning waste plastic - disadvantages (1)

Answer 17

Toxic gases released have to be removed

Question 18

Recycling plastic - advantages (4)

Answer 18

Reduces amount of waste going to landfill
Saves raw materials (good because oil is non-renewable)
Cost of recycling is lower than making from scratch
Less CO2 emissions than burning

Question 19

Recycling plastic - disadvantages (4)

Answer 19

Technically difficult
Collecting, sorting and processing is more expensive than burning/landfill
Often unable to remake the initial plastic so something else has to be made
Plastic is easily contaminated during recycling process