Polymers Flashcards
Addition polymers are also known as?
polyalkenes
Which polymers are biodegradable and which are not? Why?
condensation polymers (polyesters and polyamides) are biodegradable as they can be broken down by hydrolysis due to the polarity within the polymer molecules
addition polymers (polyalkenes) are non-biodegradable because they are chemically inert and have non-polar (C-H and C-C) bonds
What are the 3 ways that condensation polymers are formed?
dicarboxylic acid + diol (polyesters)
dicarboxylic acid + diamine (polyamides)
amino acids (polypeptides which are also polyamides)
What is the polyester you have to know?
terylene (PET)
What are the polyamides you have to know?
nylon 6-6
kevlar
Typical uses of kevlar
bulletproof vests
Typical uses of nylon 6-6
clothing
carpets
Typical uses of terylene
plastic bottles
clothes
What is the amide linkage?
-CONH-
What is the ester linkage?
-COO-
Why can a single amino acid join to another to form a polymer?
because an amino acid has both a -NH and an -OH group
Why does hydrolysis break down condensation polymers?
the water molecules are attracted to the polar regions of the polymer
Why are condensation polymers strong?
they contain polar bonds so hydrogen bonds can form between separate chains
How can polyalkenes be broken down? Why is this bad?
by burning them
it produces harmful products (SO2, CO) which can also cause acid rain
Advantages of recycling
less waste in landfill
no need to derive new plastics from crude oil (expensive and finite resource)
