C11 - Polymers - Complete Flashcards
What general word do we use to describe most inorganic polymers?
Plastics
What is a polymer?
A long chain of interconnected monomers
What would ethene be called if it was made into a polymer?
Poly(ethene)
What are some uses of poly(ethene)?
Drinks bottles, plastic bags, dustbins and clingfilm
What is the reaction to make a polymer from an alkene called?
Addition polymerisation, and the product is called an additional polymer
How does the additional polymerisation of the alkenes work?
The double C=C bond in the centre ‘opens up’, allowing a single bond to be formed on either side of the bracket. No other molecules are formed in the reaction and the repeating unit has the same amount of atoms as the monomers
What are the two types of polymerisation?
Addition and condensation polymerisation
What are the two products of condensation polymerisation?
The condensation polymer and H2O/HCl
How are polymers formed in condensation polymerisation?
The two functional groups at the end of each of the molecules react and join together to make a new polymer, with the functional groups linking to make a a H2O or HCl molecule
What is the atom economy for each of the polymerisation reactions?
Condensation: 50%
Addition: 100%
Name 3 natural polymers
Protein, starch and cellulose
What can glucose monomers create?
Starch and cellulose chains
What is the difference in organisation of the molecules of starch and cellulose?
Starch is arranged in branched chains, and so its intermolecular forces are sporadic and weak, whereas cellulose’s chains are straight and organised - so their intermolecular forces are strong
What is a monomer of a protein called?
An amino acid
What is a polypeptide?
A polymer chain of amino acids
