C11 - Polymers Flashcards
What is one of the most important ways that chemicals from crude oil are used ?
To make polymers
What are polymers ?
long chain molecule made from lots of small molecules joined together
What is a monomer?
small molecules that join together to make polymers
What is addition Polymerisation ?
formation of long chain molecules from lots of small molecules joining together with no other products
What do ethene monomers make up ?
They make up the poly(ethene) polymer
What type of bonds do the monomers have ?
Covalent bonds
How do monomers join together in addition polymerisation ?
When alkene molecules join together, the double covalent bond between two carbon atoms in each molecule ‘opens up’ It is replaced by a single carbon-carbon covalent bond between the two carbon atoms. In this way, thousands of molecules join together, end to end. The polymer chains they form are made up of a ‘backbone’ of thousands of carbon atoms. This type of reaction is called addition polymerisation and the polymer formed is known as an addition polymer.
What is poly(ethene) used for ?
Low density poly(ethene):
-plastic bags
-other low strength products
Hight density poly(ethene):
-plastic bottles
-chemical and water pipes
-food storage containers
-folding chairs and tables
In addition polymers, why does the repeating unit have the same amount of atoms as the monomer ?
Because the double carbon covalent bond opens up in polymerisation and no other molecule is formed in the reaction
What is the difference between condensation polymerisation and addition polymerisation ?
In addition polymerisation, there is only one product formed in the reaction, the polymer, whereas in condensation polymerisation there are two different products. The main product is the polymer, but you usually also get a small molecule given off. The small molecule is most commonly either water, H,O, or hydrogen chloride, HCI.
Why in condensation polymers are there often 2 different monomers used?
One monomer will have a certain functional group at both ends of its molecule. The other monomer will have a different functional group at its ends. The important thing is that the functional groups on the two different monomers must react together. This is how the long polymer chains are formed.
How can you make a polyester ?
An alcohol (with the -OH functional group) and a carboxylic acid (with the -COOH functional group) react together to give an ester plus water. So to make a polyester chain, you would start with one alcohol monomer with an -OH group at each end, and another carboxylic acid monomer with a -COOH group at each end.
Then the monomers link together and the cooh and oh react and the h from the alcohol and oh from the dicarboxilic acid form water leaving us with the coo functional group (ester) and water being given off as h+oh =h2o
Whats the general formula to make an polyester ?
a diol + a dicarboxylic acid —–> a polyester + water
What is a diol ?
It is an alcohol containing 2 OH functional groups
What is the fume given off when two different monomers react together to form nylon ?
HCL (hydrogen chloride) gas