Polymers Material Polystyrene Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) Poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) Tg (C) 95[19] 85[19]

80[19] 70[19]

Polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE) 45[18] Poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) Polynorbornene Poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) Poly(carbonate) Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) 30[19] 215[19] 15[19] 145[19] 115[20]

Poly(methylmethacrylate) (atactic) 105[19] Polypropylene (isotactic) Tyre rubber Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) Polypropylene (atactic) Polyvinyl fluoride (PVF) 0[19] -70[17] -35[18] -20[19] -20[18]

Nylon-6 Nylon has a glass transition temperature of 47 C.[21] Whereas polyethene has a glass transition range of 130 to 80 C[22] It must be kept in mind that the above are only mean values, as the glass transition temperature depends on the cooling rate, molecular weight distribution and could be influenced by additives. Note also that for a semi-crystalline material, such as polyethenethat is 6080% crystalline at room temperature, the quoted glass transition refers to what happens to the amorphous part of the material upon cooling.

1. Rayon is a fabric which is made from the cellulose from plants and undergoes several chemical processes while viscose is a type of rayon made from viscose. 2. Rayon is highly absorbent and easy to dye while viscose looks like silk and feels like cotton. 3. Both rayon and viscose are manufactured in the same process but they differ in materials used. While rayon can be made with cellulose from a variety of plants, viscose is made from wood pulp or cotton linter. 4. Viscose rayon can also be less durable than other types of rayon because it is made with a high concentration of caustic soda while other types of rayon use less.

poly(acrylonitrile)
(PAN)

Properties
Glass transition temperature: 85oC. Melting temperature: 317oC. Amorphous density at 25oC: 1.184 g/cm3. Molecular weight of repeat unit: 53.06 g/mol.

Repeat Unit

C3H3N

Description
Poly(acrylonitrile) is most commonly used in fiber form. Since it softens only slightly below its thermal degradation temperature, it must be processed by wet or dry spinning rather than melt spinning.

polyacrylonitrile (PAN), a synthetic resin prepared by the polymerization of acrylonitrile. A member of the important family of acrylic resins, it is a hard, rigid thermoplastic material that is resistant to most solvents and chemicals, slow to burn, and of low permeability to gases. Most polyacrylonitrile is produced as acrylic and modacrylic fibre, a common substitute for wool in clothing and home furnishings. Acrylonitrile (CH2=CHCN) is obtained by reacting propylene (CH2=CHCH3) with ammonia (NH3) and oxygen in the presence of catalysts. It is a flammable liquid that is highly toxic if ingested and is a known carcinogen; strictly regulated procedures are required for its handling and disposal. Acrylonitrile monomers (single-unit molecules) are suspended,

almost always in combination with other monomers, as fine droplets in water and are induced to polymerize to PAN through the action of free-radical initiators. The acrylonitrile

repeating unit of the polymer has the following structure:

PAN has none of the hazardous properties of the monomer. Owing to the formation of strong chemical bonds between the nitrile (CN) groups, the polymer molecules resist most organic solvents and do not melt without decomposing. In most cases the polymer is dissolved in special solvents and spun into acrylic fibres, which are defined as fibres that contain 85 percent or more of PAN. Because PAN is difficult to dissolve and is highly resistant to dyeing, very little fibre is produced containing PAN alone. On the other hand, a copolymer containing 2 to 7 percent of a vinyl comonomer such as vinyl acetate can be solution-spun readily to fibres that soften enough to allow penetration by dyestuffs. Acrylic fibres are soft and flexible, producing lightweight, lofty yarns. Such properties closely resemble those of wool; hence, the most common use of acrylics in apparel and carpets is as a wool replacementfor example, in knitted wear such as sweaters and socks. Acrylics can be sold at a fraction of the cost of the natural fibre, and they offer better sunlight resistance, mildew resistance, and resistance to attack by moths. Acrylic fibres are also used as precursors for the production of carbon and graphite fibres, as replacements for asbestos in cement, and in industrial filters and battery separators. Acrylics modified by halogen-containing comonomers such as vinyl chloride or vinylidene chloride are classified as modacrylics. (By definition, modacrylics contain more than 35 percent and less than 85 percent PAN.) The presence of chlorine imparts a notable flame resistance to the fibrean advantage that makes modacrylics desirable for products such as childrens sleepwear, blankets, awnings, and tents. However, they are not as widely used as the simple acrylics because of their higher cost and because they are somewhat prone to shrinkage in clothes dryers. Although the polymerization of acrylonitrile had been known since the 1890s, commercial production of PAN fibre did not begin until the 1940s, after Ray C. Houtz of E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company (now DuPont Company) discovered spinning solvents that could dissolve the polymer. DuPont introduced its trademarked Orlon acrylic fibre in 1948; Orlon was soon followed by the Monsanto Chemical Companys Acrilan, American Cyanamids Creslan, Courtaulds Courtelle, and others. The decade of the 1950s also saw the introduction of modacrylics such asEastman Kodak Companys Verel and Monsantos SEF.

RESINS Resin is a natural or synthetic compound that begins in a highly viscous state and hardens with treatment. Typically, it is soluble in alcohol, but not in water. Some plants exude a similar substance called gum or gum resin that does interact with water. Gum tends to be softer and more malleable. For the most part, polymers made with resins are actually made with synthetics, which are cheaper and easier to refine.