Polyesters Flashcards
1
Q
what is a polyester?
A
a polymer made of lots of molecules joined together in a chain by ester groups
2
Q
how do you make a polyester?
A
you need to mix two types of monomer:
- dicarboxylic acid (has -COOH at both ends)
- diol (has -OH at both ends)
lots of monomers can then join up into a very long, alternating chain
3
Q
why is this type of polymerisation called condensation polymerisation?
A
because each time a monomer joins the end of the chain, a water molecule is lost
4
Q
how do you work out the structure of the repeat unit?
A
highlight the OH in the -COOH groups and the H in the -OH groups, then get rid of them and join what’s left together
5
Q
what are biopolyesters?
A
- some polyesters are biodegradable, which means microbes such as bacteria and fungii can use enzymes to break down the polymer into its monomers and use them as an energy supply
- this is a good thing, because it reduces our reliance on landfill and incineration to dispose of used polyesters