chap 9 key terms

Question 1

addition polymer

Answer 1

Addition polymer- a polymer that is formed by an addition reaction, where many monomers bond together by rearrangement of C=C double bonds without the loss of any atom or molecule. An addition polymer is made from unsaturated monomers.

Question 2

addition polymerisation

Answer 2

Addition polymerisation- The process by which a polymer is formed by an addition reaction, which many unsaturated monomers bond together by rearrangement of C=C double bonds without the loss of any atom or molecule.

Question 3

amorphous

Answer 3

a structure that has no consistent arrangement of particles.

Question 4

biobased

Answer 4

Biobased- Describes a material intentionally made from substances derived from living (or once-living) organisms.

Question 5

biodegradable

Answer 5

Biodegradable- Capable of being decomposed by bacteria or other living organisms.

Question 6

bio-monomer

Answer 6

Bio-monomer- Monomers chemically synthesised from biomass, such as starch, sugar or general food waste.

Question 7

bio-polyethene (bio-PE)

Answer 7

Bio-polyethene (bio-PE)- Polyethene formed from ethanol that has been formed by fermentation.

Question 8

Bio-polyethylene terephthalate (bio-PET)

Answer 8

Bio-polyethylene terephthalate (bio-PET)- PET formed using ethane-1,2-diol that has been formed from bioethanol.

Question 9

bio-plastic

Answer 9

Bio-plastic- Polymers formed from renewable biomass such as starch or sugar.

Question 10

bio-polypropene (bio-PP)

Answer 10

Bio-polypropene (bio-PP)- Polypropene formed from propene that has been formed from either ethanol or butan-1-ol from renewable biomass.

Question 11

Branches

Answer 11

Branches- The regular or irregular attachment of side chains to a polymer’s backbone chain.

Question 12

catalyst

Answer 12

Catalyst- A substance that increases the rate of a reaction but is not consumed in the reaction. The catalyst provides a new reaction pathway with a lower activation energy.

Question 13

chemical recycling

Answer 13

Chemical recycling- Any process by which a polymer is chemically reduced to its original monomer.

Question 14

compostable

Answer 14

Compostable- Capable of disintegrating into natural elements within 90 days in a compost environment, leaving no toxicity in the soil.

Question 15

condensation polymer

Answer 15

Condensation polymer- A polymer formed by a condensation reaction, involving the elimination of a small molecule (often water) when monomers bond together. The monomers have functional groups at both ends of the molecule.

Question 16

copolymer

Answer 16

Copolymer- A polymer that is made from two or more monomers.

Question 17

cracking

Answer 17

Cracking- A chemical process during which carbon-carbon bonds in alkanes are broken to form smaller molecules and some unsaturated molecules.

Question 18

cross-link

Answer 18

Cross-link- a covalent bond between different chains of atoms in a polymer or other complex molecule.

Question 19

crystalline region

Answer 19

Crystalline region- A region where polymer molecules line up parallel to each other and pack closely together.

Question 20

elastomer

Answer 20

Elastomer- A rubbery material composed of long molecules that is capable of recovering its original shape after being stretched.

Question 21

ester

Answer 21

Ester- A compound produced by the reaction between a carboxylic acid and an alcohol with the elimination of a molecule of water.

Question 22

high-density polyethene (HDPE)

Answer 22

High-density polyethene (HDPE)- A form of the polymer polyethene formed from polymer chains with very few, short branches. This means the polymer chains are packed together closely, making the polymer dense. HDPE can have a percentage crystallinity as high as 95% and has excellent mechanical properties. HDPE is used to make pipes, buckets and food containers, such as milk bottles.

Question 23

hydrolysis

Answer 23

Hydrolysis- Any chemical reaction in which a molecule of water breaks one or more chemical bonds.

Question 24

linear low-desnity polyethene (LLDPE)

Answer 24

Low density polyethene (LDPE)- A form of the polymer polyethene which has a high degree of short and long chain branching. This means the polymer chains do not pack together closely in the crystal structure. It has therefore weaker intermolecular forces, resulting in a lower tensile strength and increased ductility.

Question 25

mechanical recycling

Answer 25

Mechanical recycling- refers to operations that aim to recover plastic waste using mechanical process such as grinding and separating.

Question 26

microbial

Answer 26

relating to microbes or microorganisms, often bacteria

Question 27

microplastic

Answer 27

Microplastic- Extremely small pieces of plastic debris in the environment resulting from the disposal and breakdown of consumer products and industrial waste.

Question 28

monomer

Answer 28

Monomer- A small molecule that can react to form long chains of repeating units, called polymers.

Question 29

natural polymer

Answer 29

Natural polymer- Long chains of repeated units which are obtained from nature, meaning they can be observed in and extracted from living things.

Question 30

organic recycling

Answer 30

Organic recycling- The use of enzymes or microorganisms to compost a polymer back to its monomer or to non-toxic smaller molecules.

Question 31

plastic

Answer 31

Plastic- A property of a material that can be reshaped by application of heat and pressure. In society, polymers are often referred to as plastics.

Question 33

polymer

Answer 33

Polymer- A long-chain molecule that is formed by the reaction of large numbers of repeating units (monomers).

Question 33

plasticiser

Answer 33

Plasticiser- Small molecules that soften a plastic by weakening intermolecular attractions between polymer chains.

Question 34

polymerisation

Answer 34

the process of synthesizing a polymer

Question 34

side group

Answer 34

a group of atoms attached to a backbone chain of a long molecule

Question 35

thermoplastic

Answer 35

Thermoplastic- A thermoplastic polymer will often and melt when heated, allowing it to be remoulded or recycled. When heated sufficiently, the intermolecular bonds break, allowing the molecules to become free to move and be remoulded.

Question 36

thermosetting

Answer 36

Thermosetting- When a thermosetting polymer is heated, it does not melt, but at high temperatures, covalent bonds are broken and it decomposes or burns. It cannot be moulded into a different shape.

Question 37

unsaturated

Answer 37

Unsaturated- A hydrocarbon composed of molecules with one or more carbon-carbon double or triple bonds.