Designer polymers Flashcards
what is nylon used in?
clothing
what does it mean if a polymer is non-biodegradable?
it will not decay or decompose by bacterial action
Recall some of the ways that waste polymers can be
disposed of:
- use of land-fill sites
- burning of waste polymers
- recycling
what are atoms in plastics held together by?
strong covalent bonds
Relate the properties of plastics to simple models of
their structure:
- plastics that have weak intermolecular forces
between polymer molecules have low melting
points and can be stretched easily as the polymer
molecules can slide over one another - plastics that have strong forces between the
polymer molecules (covalent bonds or crosslinking
bridges) have high melting points, cannot
be stretched and are rigid
Explain why GORE-TEX® type materials are
waterproof and yet breathable:
• nylon laminated with PTFE / polyurethane
membrane
• holes in membrane are too small for water to
pass through but are big enough for water vapour
to pass through
• membrane is too fragile on its own and so is
combined with nylon.
Explain why chemists are developing new types of
polymers
- polymers that dissolve
* biodegradable polymers.
Explain environmental and economic issues related
to the use and disposal of polymers
- landfill - putting plastic in holes underground uses up land and wastes resources
- Burning plastics - produces air pollution and wastes resources
- Recycling - plastics need to be sorted, difficult, time consuming and expensive
Compare the properties of nylon and GORE-TEX®
fabric:
• nylon is tough, lightweight, keeps water out and
keeps UV light out but does not let water vapour
through it which means that sweat condenses
• GORE-TEX® fabric has all of the properties of
nylon but is also breathable.
what are soluble polymers?
polymers that dissolve in water and make disposal easy.
E.g. wrapping for dishwasher tablets
