Unit 3.4.9 - Polymers

Question 1

What are the two types of polymers?

Answer 1

Addition and condensation

Question 2

What are addition polymers?

Answer 2

Long chains of monomers formed by breaking double bonds in alkenes and then joining them all together

Question 3

What is a repeating unit?

Answer 3

The section in a polymer that repeats

Question 4

What is the difference between the repeating unit and the monomer that makes up a polymer in an addition polymer?

Answer 4

The repeating unit is the monomer without the double bond

Question 5

What are condensation polymers?

Answer 5

Long chains of monomers that contain at least two functional groups, a molecule of H₂O is released when each monomer is joined

Question 6

Name three common types of condemnation polymers.

Answer 6

Polyamides, polyesters and polypeptides

Question 7

What monomers are polyamides made from?

Answer 7

Dicarboxylic acids and diamines

Question 8

What sort of links are there in polyamides?

Answer 8

Amide links

Question 9

Name two polyamides.

Answer 9

Nylon 6,6 and Kevlar

Question 10

What two monomers make up Nylon 6,6?

Answer 10

1,6 diaminohexane and hexanedioic acid

Question 11

What two monomer make up Kevlar?

Answer 11

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

Question 12

What monomers are polyesters made from?

Answer 12

Dicarboxylic acid and Diol

Question 13

What sort of links are there in polyesters?

Answer 13

Ester links

Question 14

Name one polyester.

Answer 14

Terylene

Question 15

What two monomers make up Terylene?

Answer 15

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

Question 16

Why are synthetic polymers widespread?

Answer 16

Because they have lots of advantages

Question 17

Are condensation polymers or addition polymers very unreactive?

Answer 17

Addition

Question 18

Why are addition polymers unreactive?

Answer 18

Because the bonds between the repeating units are non-polar so they aren’t susceptible to attack by nuclophiles

Question 19

Why is it an advantage that addition polymers are unreactive?

Answer 19

They won’t react with what ever they are used for it

Question 20

What is a disadvantages of addition polymers?

Answer 20

They are non-biodegradable as the bonds in the polymers can’t be hydrolysed and won’t break down easily

Question 21

Why can condensation polymers be broken down by hydrolysis?

Answer 21

The bonds between the repeating units are polar and so are susceptible to attack by nucleophiles like water

Question 22

What is an advantage of condensation polymers?

Answer 22

They are bio-degradable and easily broken down

Question 23

What are the four options four what to do with waste plastics?

Answer 23

Burying, burning, sorting for reusing or sorting for recycling

Question 24

What does burying waste plastics involve?

Answer 24

Taking them to landfill

Question 25

When is burying waste plastics usually used?

Answer 25

Generally used when the plastic is difficult to separate from other waste this could be because there isn’t sufficient quantities to make separation financially worthwhile or too difficult to technically recycle

Question 26

What are two advantages of burying waste plastics?

Answer 26

1.) relatively cheap 2.) easy method to use

Question 27

What are three disadvantages of burying waste plastics?

Answer 27

1.) It requires areas of land 2.) As the waste decomposes it releases methane - a greenhouse gas 3.) Leaks from landfill sites can contaminate water supplies

Question 28

Why is there a need to reduce landfill use?

Answer 28

The amount of waste we generate is increasing so it is becoming more and more of a problem

Question 29

Why does burning waste plastic have to be carefully controlled?

Answer 29

To reduce toxic gases that are released

Question 30

What is an example of a toxic gas that is removed after burning plastics?

Answer 30

HCl has to be removed when PVC is burned

Question 31

How are toxic gases removed when you burn waste plastics?

Answer 31

The gases are passed through scrubbers which can neutralise gases by allowing them to react with a base

Question 32

Which gas don’t scrubbers remove?

Answer 32

CO₂

Question 33

How do your recycle or reuse plastics?

Answer 33

Plastics are first sorted into different types of plastics Then some are melted and remoulded into something new Where as others are cracked into monomers which can be used to make more plastics or chemicals

Question 34

Why are plastic products usually marked?

Answer 34

To make sorting easier

Question 35

What are four advantages of recycling and reusing waste plastics?

Answer 35

1.) Reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills 2.) It saves raw materials - oil is non renewable 3.) The cost of recycling plastic is lower than making the plastics from scratch 4.) It produces less CO₂ emissions than burning the plastic

Question 36

What are four disadvantages of recycling and reusing waste plastics?

Answer 36

1.) It is technically difficulty to recycle plastics 2.) Collecting, sorting and processing the plastics is more expensive than burning/landfill 3.) You often can’t remake the plastic you started with 4.) The plastic can be easily contaminated during the recycling process

Question 37

Draw the general reaction for the formation of a polyester.

Answer 37

Question 38

Draw the general reaction for the foramtion of a polyamide.

Answer 38

Question 39

Draw the equation for the formation of Kevlar.

Answer 39

Question 40

Draw the equation for the formation of Terylene.

Answer 40

Question 41

Draw the eqation for the formation of Nylon 6,6.

Answer 41