What are Polymers and Copolymers?
Polymers are large molecules that are formed of many smaller molecules joined together as sub units, known as monomers. They portray a huge role in society as they tend to make up most plastics used ranging from plastic shopping bags to styrofoam. Polymers can be found naturally an example being DNA the building blocks of life but most usable polymers are man made (American Chemistry Council, n.d). The polymers in plastics widely used by society today are known as homopolymers, as they are the product of two or more identical monomers that have undergone polymerisation. However, here is an alternative form of polymer that is not as widely used called copolymers. Copolymers are constructed when two or more different subunits undergo polymerization linking them to form a larger molecule (PSLC, 2003). This means the polymer is made of different monomers potentially giving it an advantage. Homopolymers dominate society in their uses whereas copolymers tend to be overlooked. This in fact should not be the case as copolymers have just as much relevance and usability if not more than homopolymers. Two types of copolymers will be explored going into depth as to why they are just as useful as homopolymers.
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The structure of Styrene-butadiene makes it a more effective polymer over other homopolymer alternatives as it utilises both aspects from butadiene and styrene making it an efficient rubber and latex alternative (Generalpolymers.net, 2017). It rivals the natural polymer of polyisoprene which is the main component of natural rubber and can be seen as easier to produce and use. Due to the addition of styrene it makes the manufacturing costs lower and contributes to good
The purpose of this experiment was to create a polymer by reacting a mixture of decanedioyl dichloride and dichloromethane with a mixture of water, 1,6-hexadiamine and sodium carbonate. Specifically, we created the polymer Nylon-6,10. Nylon-6,10 polymers are used in a vast majority of things we use in everyday life such as zippers, the bristles in brushes, and even car parts. This experiment was different from the industrial method of making nylon because that takes place at a much higher temperature. A polymer is a substance that has a structure made of similar or identical units bonded together. All polymerizations fall into two categories: step-growth and chain-growth (both of which we used to form our polymer). Step growth polymerization
Fire and thermal properties of PA 66 resin treated with poly-N- aniline- phenyl phosphamide as a flame retardant
Stiffness In terms of stiffness this additive is hard and stiff. This affects the polymers in a good way because it acts like a protective shield for the polymer to stop any polymer oxidation on the polymer.
Kevlar Aramid Fiber is a synthetic (man-made) material known as a Polymer. A polymer is a chain that is made up of many similar molecular groups, better known as ‘monomers’ that are bonded together. ‘Monomers’ are made up of fourteen Carbon atoms, two Nitrogen atoms, two Oxygen atoms and ten Hydrogen atoms. A single Kevlar polymer chain could possibly have anywhere from one to five million monomers bonded together.
3D printing has the potential to revolutionize the way we make almost everything. 3D printing was invented in the mid 1980s and was initially known as additive manufacturing. It consists of the fabrication of products through the use of printers which either employ lasers to burn materials (sintering) or place layer upon layer of material (known as stereolithography), eventually resulting in a finished item. Unlike the traditional manufacturing process, which involves milling, drilling, grinding or forging molded items to make the final product, 3D printing “forms” the product layer by layer. There are many different technological variants but almost every existing, 3D printing machine functions in a similar way: a 3D computer-aided engineering (CAD) file is sliced into a series of 2D planar sections and these are deposited by the printer, one above the other, to construct the part.
In 1886,Three brothers, Robert Wood Johnson, James Wood Johnson and Edward Mead Johnson, found Johnson & Johnson in New Brunswick, New Jersey, U.S.
...an be seen that composite teeth form a high stability bond than PMMA teeth. This is due to the filler content allowing for low shrinkage, increased wear resistance and better cross-linkage with the base. In overall consensus the technique of heat-curing is believed to achieve significantly more polymer cross-linkage than that of self-curing the acrylic resin PMMA base - giving us a stronger base to teeth interface. It should be noted however that both techniques can be used for denture fabrication to achieve a desired result and it is up to the dentist and the technician to determine which one they prefer however, composite teeth bonded to a heat-cured PMMA base works best. Though the tooth and base by themselves may be strong, if the interface between them is not strong, this will result in the overall denture produced being weak independent of material selection.
Prosthetics are used by people that are born without complete limbs and who have had amputations due to war, diseases or accidents to function and be seen as a “whole” by the society. Throughout the years, since the first invention, people have been developing and enhancing limb prosthetics to produce a device that would be functional and aesthetically pleasing for people who have had amputations. There are many materials that have been used to manufacture limb prosthetics, such as wood, copper, and bronze, but nowadays, lighter materials, namely carbon fiber are being used for comfort. Because of prosthetic enhancements, the perceptions of people toward amputees have shifted from negative to positive; people are becoming more appreciative rather than
During the 1930’s there were many inventions that were being useful and that they tried to improve them over the time as years gone by. They tried to make more innovative tools, and Richard Drew was one of the few who invented something spectacular; the Scotch Tape and it was one of his first inventions.
According to the American Council of Chemistry, plastics, which are otherwise known as polymers, are comprised of carbon, hydrogen, chlorine, nitrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and other elements that are combined through the conversion of natural products like oil, natural gas, or coal (ACA, n.d.). Between 7 and 8 % of the oil and natural gasses produced annually are used either directly in the conversion of such fossil fuels to plastics, or in powering the processes to produce plastics (Hopewell, Dvorak & Kosior, 2009). Plastic combinations can either form as thermoplastics, which are plastics whose atoms are connected in long chains that can be melted and reused, or thermosets, which are plastics whose atoms are arranged in three dimensional patterns that cannot be melted or reused (ACC, n.d.). Plastics are used in a wide range of products. For example, polyesters are used in textiles and fabrics, polyvinylidene chlorides are used for food packaging, polycarbonates are used for glasses and disks, and more. By the United States energy averages of 2015, each kg of plastic produced requires 62-108 mega joules of energy. The plastic requiring the largest amount of energy per kg is silicon which required about 235 mega joules of energy per kg. Three hundred and twenty two million metric tons of plastic produced in 2015 alone, and that value continues to raise, (Global plastic production,
The synthesis of polymers starts with ethylene, (or ethene). Ethylene is obtained as a by-product of petrol refining from crude oil or by dehydration of ethanol. Ethylene molecules compose of two methylene units (CH2) linked together by a double carbon
Among high school students, 44% of girls and 15% of guys are attempting to lose weight. This is because
Polymer-Polyethylene is partially crystalline as well as amorphous because it has crystalline and amorphous regions. Also it has linear chains so this is the simplest structure compared to a branched or network chain. This can be of an advantage to it over other types of materials as its good toughness and elongation makes it very significant in the engineering industry as it can be moulded or extruded into shape...
The knowledge of thermoplastic elastomers (TP)from blends of NBR and HDPE has occurred as a valuable implement in tai...
chains instead of hydrogen atoms. Cross-linking is another way in which the polymer can be made stronger. This involves ultraviolet radiation that bombards the polymer with electrons and formulates bonds between the molecular chains of the polymers. This is like linear polyethylene but different in that it is more impact resistant, and it has a much higher density. This allows it to be stored or be used with different chemicals that would normally cause the polymer to desolve.3 This can start to become a problem because as the polymer continues to become chemically enhanced. So the ways of dissolving and recycling the polymer become more difficult.