Lecture 10 Flashcards
What is the definition of polymers?
Large molecule that has many repeat units “Poly”: many “mer”: repeat units
What are some common biomedical applications for
polymers?
suture materials, catheters, dialysis membranes, synthetic grafts, surgical meshes, bone cements
True/False: Polymers are highly tunable systems.
True
What are the three types of polymer structures?
Linear polymer, branches polymer, and crosslinked polymer “network”
Explain the solubility of the different polymer structure.
Soluble: linear, branched dissolve
Insoluble: crosslinked
What are the 5 different patterns of polymers (how each monomer is arranged)?
Homopolymer (all one monomer), Block Copolymer (alternates chunks of polymer), alternating copolymer, random copolymer, and polymer blends (each strand a different monomer)
What impact does temperature have on a polymer in the amorphous phase?
turns the glassy polymer into a rubbery polymer
What impact does temperature have on a polymer in the crystalline phase?
It turns the crystalline to purely amorphous
Why is molecular weight important for polymers?
It influences many polymer properties, such as viscosity, toughness, degradation, Tg/Tm, crystallinity
How can we measure a polymers molecular weight?
Gel permeation
