Polymer

Since many centuries we human beings, have been using polymers. Chemists and scientists have been curious and eventually this chemistry experts did hard work and thus, today we know everything about Organic compounds. Apart from alkanes, alkenes and alkynes, there is a very interesting family of compounds that we need to understand about, called Polymers.

What is polymer:

The Swedish chemist Jon Jacob Berzelius in 1833, first used the word polymer where "poly" in latin means "many" and "mer" means "units". Thus, the polymer is a macromolecules (large molecule) formed of many repeating units of monomers. 

Natural Polymer:

Wool, amber, natural rubber, cellulose and many such examples found in nature are examples of natural polymers. 

Synthetic Polymer:

Due to centuries of advancements in the field of chemistry, we have been artificially synthesizing polymers such as polythene, polyvinyl chloride, polypropene and many others. Plastic wraps, cups,  nonstick pans, all plastic vessels and n numbers of such products of synthetic polymers, we use in our everyday life. 

Synthetic polymers are not only used in our day to day life but also in the field of healthcare. Today due to synthetic polymers, damaged body parts such as blood vessel, hip joints, heart valves can be replaced with the same body parts made up of this, synthetic polymers.

Most of the synthetic polymers are made by reactions of alkene monomers. This, reactions occurs at a high temperature and high pressure in the presence of a catalyst.

Polymerization:

Polymerization is the process through which large number of monomers react at high temperature, high pressure, and in the presence of catalyst and forms a large or macromolecule called Polymer. This macromolecule can be linear or branched or complex shaped structure.

A single Polymer grows bigger with the addition of every monomer and can contain up to 1000 monomers. 

Figure above shows 3 monomers that is 3 molecules of ethene forms polyethylene section. In reality polyethylene molecule is much bigger.

Worldwide Polyethylene is the most produced synthetic polymer compared to any other polymer. Monomers ethylene reacts and combine to form a molecule of Polyethylene. Polyethylene is used in manufacturing of plastic bottles, films, and dinner wares.

Let's see examples of different monomers used to manufacture synthetic polymers as shown in the figures as follows:

Figure 1.1: shows 3 monomers of ethene forms a section of polyethylene molecule. In reality polyethylene molecule is much bigger.

Figure 1.2: The figure above shows monomer Choloroethene and polymer formed is Polyvinyl chloride(PVC= Polyvinyl chloride)

Figure 1.3: The figure above shows monomer propene and polymer formed is polypropylene(PP= Polypropylene)

Figure 1.4: The figure above shows monomer tetrafloroethene and polymer formed is polytetrafloroethene.

Figure 1.4: The figure above shows monomer styrene and polymer formed is Polystyrene(PS= Polystyrene)

Here in all above examples you can see double bond in the monomer is converted to single bond in the polymer formed and so, the polymers behave like alkanes and hence, are very stable and unreactive. These polymers are not biodegradable; cannot be decomposed and thus, are the greatest contributor of pollution on the land and oceans. Experts are striving hard to make such polymers degradable as much as possible.

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