1

Definition of Polymer
Structures
 What is a Polymer?
2

Poly mer
many repeat unit

repeat repeat repeat

unit unit unit
H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H
C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C
H H H H H H H Cl H Cl H Cl H CH3 H CH3 H CH3
Polyethylene (PE) Poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) Polypropylene (PP)

a substance that has a molecular structure consisting

chiefly or entirely of a large number of similar units
bonded together, e.g., many synthetic organic materials
used as plastics and resins.
3 Ancient Polymers

 Originally natural polymers were used

 Wood – Rubber
 Cotton – Wool
 Leather – Silk

 Oldest known uses

 Rubber balls used by Incas
 Noah used pitch (a natural polymer)
for the ark
4 Polymer Composition
Most polymers are hydrocarbons
– i.e., made up of H and C
 Saturated hydrocarbons
Each carbon singly bonded to four other atoms
Example:
 Ethane, C2H6

H H
H
C C

H H
H
5
6 Chemistry and Structure of
Polyethylene

Note: polyethylene is a long-chain hydrocarbon

- paraffin wax for candles is short polyethylene
7 MOLECULAR WEIGHT
• Molecular weight, M: Mass of a mole of chains.

Low M

high M

Not all chains in a polymer are of the same length

— i.e., there is a distribution of molecular weights
 Molecular Structures for
Polymers
secondary
bonding

Linear Branched Cross-Linked Network

Linear polymer is consists of a long string of carbon-

carbon bonds.
secondary
bonding

Linear Branched Cross-Linked Network

A branched polymer is one of the structural

classifications of a polymer. ... This means that a
substituent (e.g. a hydrogen atom) on a monomer
subunit of the main polymer is replaced covalently by
another bonded chain of the polymer.
secondary
bonding

Linear Branched Cross-Linked Network

In chemistry and biology a cross-link is a bond that

links one polymer chain to another. These links may
take the form of covalent bonds or ionic bonds and
the polymers can be either synthetic polymers or
naturalpolymers (such as proteins).
secondary
bonding

Linear Branched Cross-Linked Network

Network polymer is an Interpenetrating polymer

network (IPN) is a polymercomprising two or
more networks which are at least partially interlaced
on a polymer scale but not covalently bonded to each
other. The network cannot be separated unless
chemical bonds are broken.
12 Polymers – Molecular Shape

Molecular Shape (or Conformation) – chain bending and

twisting are possible by rotation of carbon atoms
around their chain bonds
 note: not necessary to break chain bonds to alter
molecular shape
 Copolymers
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two or more monomers random
polymerized together
 random – A and B
randomly positioned
along chain
 alternating – A and B alternating
alternate in polymer
chain
 block – large blocks of A block
units alternate with large
blocks of B units
 graft – chains of B units
grafted onto A backbone

graft
A– B–
14 True or False

1. polymers a substance that has a molecular structure consisting

chiefly or entirely of a small number of similar units bonded
together, e.g., many synthetic organic materials used as plastics
and resins.
2. Polymer means many repeating unit.
3. Most polymers are hydrocarbon.
4. Molecular Shape is a chain bending and twisting are not
possible by rotation of carbon atoms around their chain bonds
5. Network polymer is an Interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) is
a polymer comprising two or more networks which are at least
partially interlaced on a polymer scale but not covalently
bonded to each other. The network cannot be separated
unless chemical bonds are broken.
 Identification
15

6. a substance that has a molecular structure consisting chiefly

or entirely of a large number of similar units bonded together,
e.g., many synthetic organic materials used as plastics and
resins.
7. It is one of the structural classifications of a polymer. ...
This means that a substituent (e.g. a hydrogen atom) on a
monomer subunit of the main polymer is replaced covalently by
another bonded chain of the polymer.
8. It is consists of a long string of carbon-carbon bonds.
9. Two or more monomers polymerized together.
 10. It is an Interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) is
a polymer comprising two or more networks which are at
least partially interlaced on a polymer scale but not
covalently bonded to each other. The network cannot be
separated unless chemical bonds are broken.
16

 1. False
 2. True
 3. True
 4. False
 5. True
 6. Polymer
 7. Branch Polymer
 8. Linear Polymer
 9. Copolymers
 10. Network Polymer