4.1.3 waste polymers

Question 1

since they are unreactive name one good and bad thing about it

Answer 1

good = food safe
bad = hard to break down

Question 2

are alkenes biodegradable?

Answer 2

no

Question 3

why is recycling good

and what happens to the polymers

Answer 3

good as it helps reduce use of finite resources such as fossil fuels
the polymers are sorted -> chopped -> washed -> dried -> melted to make new things

Question 4

how can we recycle PVC and why cant we do it normally

Answer 4

we now use solvents to dissolve it and to be reused

as if we burn it like usual it will let off HCl gas which is corrosive

Question 5

how can polymers be used as a fuel

Answer 5

when burnt they let off alot of energy and this is used to stream water so it can turn a turbine to generate energy

Question 6

what is feedstock recycling

Answer 6

the process to recalin monomers, gas or oil from waste products
can be used to make new polymers. better as you dont need to sort it out

Question 7

what are bioplastics

Answer 7

these plastics are made from celluslose and plant oil, ts better than oil-based plastics

Question 8

biodegradable polymers

Answer 8

they are biodegradable as they are made from starch or cellulose
can be broken down via micro-organisms into h2o, co2 and biological compounds.
leave no visible toxic residue once broken down

Question 9

photodegradable polymers

Answer 9

these are used so that the polymers bonds weaken over time due to sun exposure