Polymers

Question 1

What is a polymer

Answer 1

substance of high average relative molecular mass made up of small repeating units

Question 2

How to produce poly(ethene)

Answer 2

Ethene breaks down its double bond and becomes a repeating unit which repeats a fuck ton

Question 3

How are addition polymers made? What polymers are produced like this?

Answer 3

• Combine many molecules containing C=C bond and break the bond
• Poly(ethene)
• Poly(chloroethene) PVC
• Poly(propene)
• poly(tetrafluoroethene) PTFE

Question 4

poly(ethene) properties and uses

Answer 4

• Properties: flexible, electrical insulator, cheap
• Uses: plastic bags, bottles, wire insulation

Question 5

poly(propene) properties and uses

Answer 5

• Properties: flexible, strong, tough, mouldable
• Uses: crates, furniture

Question 6

PVC properties and uses

Answer 6

• Properties: tough and cheap
• Uses: pipes

Question 7

PTFE properties and uses

Answer 7

• Properties: unreactive, tough, non-stick
• Uses: non-stick pans, waterproof clothing

Question 8

Why are polyesters condensation polymers?

Answer 8

• in condensation polymerisation, two monomers react and form another small product
• in polyesters, carboxylic acids and alcohols react to form water.

Question 9

How is a polyester formed?

Answer 9

When a molecule with two carboxylic acid groups reacts with a molecule with two alcohol groups, water gets cancelled out as a byproduct and then they combine

Question 10

Advantages of recycling polymers

Answer 10

• Reuse waste material
• Save crude oil
• More economically viable than making new polymers

Question 11

Disadvantages of recycling polymers

Answer 11

• Difficult and expensive to separate polymers

Question 12

What natural polymers exist

Answer 12

DNA, nucleotides
Starch, sugars
Protein, amino acids