Using Alkenes to Make Polymers Flashcards
What does polymerisation mean?
Joining together lots of monomers (small molecules e.g ALKENES) to form very large molecules - these long chain molecules are called polymers
What can many Ethene molecules be joined up to produce?
Polythene
How do molecules form polymers?
Opening up their bonds
What is polythene like? What can it be used for?
Stretchy and light
Loads of uses from plastic bags to hose pipes to laminating papers
If you join lots of Propene molecules together, what do you get?
Polypropene
What is Polypropene like? What can it be used for?
Tough and flexible
Thermal underwear, carpets and plastic containers
What does joining lots of chloroethene molecules together give you?
Polychloroethene
What is Polychloroethene like? What can it be used for?
aka PVC
flexible and resistant to wear
Clothing, electric cables and pipes
Tetrafluoroethene polymerises to become?
polytetrafluoroethene aka PTFE
What’s PTFE like and what is it used for?
Unreactive, flame resistant and very resistant to wear
Non stick costing for pans - Teflon
What are most plastics?
Non-biodegradable
What does non-biodegradable mean?
They’re not broken down by Microorganisms, so they don’t rot. If you bury them in a landfill they’ll still be there years later
When you burn some plastic, what do they give off?
Toxic gases
Why is it best to recycle plastics?
To conserve resources
Why is recycling expensive and difficult?
Lots of different types of plastics, plastics have to be separated
