Polymers (Organic) (complete)

Question 1

What are addition polymers?
What are the monomers usually?
What is their biodegradability?

Answer 1

• Long chain molecules made from joining together many shorter molecules together to form a long chain molecule with nothing else produced.
• Monomers - alkenes, molecules with a C=C bonds.
• Non-biodegradable due to absence of polar bonds in the main chain.

Question 2

What are condensation polymers?
What are their monomers?
Biodegradable?

Answer 2

• Long chain molecules made from joining shorter molecules together to form a long chain molecule with another small molecule also formed (e.g: water or HCl)
• Monomers = dicarboxylic acids with diols, dicarboxylic acids with diamonds, amino acids.
• Biodegradable due to presence of polar C-N or C-O bonds in the main chain.

Question 3

What are the bonds that can be formed between monomers in a condensation polymers called?

Answer 3

• Amide link, Ester link.

Question 4

Give the UPAC names for the monomers of nylon 6,6

Answer 4

1,6-diaminohexane and hexane-1,6-dioc acid

Question 5

What is nylon used for?

Answer 5

• Fibres for clothes and ropes

Question 6

Give the UPAC names for the monomers of kevlar

Answer 6

1,4-diaminobenzene and benzene-1,4-dicarboxylic acid

Question 7

What is kevlar used for? How is it able to be used for these?

Answer 7

• bulletproof vests and bicycle puncture proof tyres.
• Very tough material as can hydrogen bond between chains.

Question 8

Give the disposal methods available for polyalkanes.

Answer 8

• Recycle/Reuse
• Landfill
• Incineration

Question 9

Give the pros and cons of recycling/reusing polyalkanes

Answer 9

pros - less use of crude oil to make new alkenes. less waste in landfill.
cons - energy needed to melt and reshape plastics. fossil fuels used to collect plastics. difficult to sort and separate plastic types.

Question 10

Give the pros and cons of sending polyalkanes to landfill.

Answer 10

pros - quick, easy and cheap
cons - smelly, ugly, noisy lorries, running out of space, destroying habitats.

Question 11

Give the pros and cons of incinerating polyalkanes

Answer 11

pros - quick, easy, cheap and can make electricity from heat.
cons - harmful gases released containing Cl2 and benzene, CO2 released and CO etc… and substances gone forever.

Question 12

Name and describe the disposal methods of polyester and polyamides.

Answer 12

• Hydrolysis of either the amide or ester link present as biodegradable, but very slow process.

Question 13

Give the IUPAC names for the monomers of terylene (PET)

Answer 13

ethane-1,2-diol and benzene-1,4-dicarboxylic acid

Question 14

What are the uses of terylene (PET)?

Answer 14

plastic bottles and ropes and clothes.