What Are The Importance Of Polymers

DEFINITION : “ Poly means many and mer means parts, so polymer means many parts. Polymers are made from many small molecules held together through covalent bonding ”

The small molecules which form polymers are called monomers. In other words monomers are the building block of polymers. Hundreds and thousands of monomers combine together to form a large molecule of polymer. A polymer can be a three dimensional network ( repeating units linked together left and right, front and back, up and down)

or two-dimensional network ( repeating units linked together left, right, up, and down )

or a one-dimensional network (think of the repeating units linked left and right in a chain). The polymers formed from same repeating units are called Homopolymers . The polymers formed from two or more different monomers are called Copolymers. Copolymers differ from each other in the way the monomers are arranged.

OCCURANCE :

Polymers are not rare they can be found everywhere. Polymers occur naturally and can also be manufactured . The formation of polymer is through a process called polymerization.

Polymers found naturally are protiens, DNA, RNA, latex, rubber, hair, spider silk, cellulose, wood and many more.

Polymers manufactured are called synthetic polymers. They are formed by natural polymers such as Rayon from cellulose , Nylon from synthetic spider silk, rubber and plastics form rubber tree latex and cellulose, etc. They mostly look like spaghetti. MOLECULAR WEIGHT :

Molecular masses of polymers are not fixed they cover a range of values. Since polymer molecules have different lengths so their molecular weight is obtained by averaging the masses with the mass fraction of the molecule. Polymers with low molecular weights are gasses and liquids MOLECULAR STRUCTURE