polymerisation
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description
Addition polymerisation- how addition polymers are formed from monomers and a flash animation showing how poly (ethene) is made from ethene. A further example showing the formtion of poly propene. Rules to be followed when writing the formulae of addition polymers. Common addition polymers and their uses with pictures.
Transcript of polymerisation
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polymerisation
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The word ‘polymer’ comes from the Greek words poly (meaning ‘many’) and meros (meaning ‘parts’).
Polymers are very large molecules made when hundreds of monomers join together to form long chains.
Plastics are synthetic polymers that can be shaped by heat or pressure.
What are polymers?
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How are monomers turned into polymers?
Making polymers
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The monomers in a polymer are joined together by covalent bonds between atoms. In a covalent bond, each atom shares one or more electrons with another atom. The bonds are sometimes shown as sticks.
covalent bond
What keeps the chain together?
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How is polyethene made?
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What’s the polymer?
What is the shorthand formula for polypropene?
The monomer is propene (C3H6):
which canbe drawn as:
1. Draw two C atoms that were in the double bond with a single covalent bond.
2. Draw the brackets and the ‘n’.
4. Add the atoms that were attached to each C atom of the double bond.
3. Add the links outside the brackets.
polypropene
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What’s the monomer?
What is the monomer of polyvinylchloride (PVC)?
1. Draw two C atoms joined with a double covalent bond.
2. Add the atoms attached to each C atom.
3. Draw the brackets and ‘n’.
The equation for the reaction can be drawn as:
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Matching polymers to their uses
