polymer

Question 1

What is addition polymerisation?

Answer 1

When monomers are joined to form polymers, with no other products formed

Question 2

What is condensation polymerisation?

Answer 2

When monomers are joined to form polymers with one small molecule formed (water)

Question 3

Compare addition vs condensation polymerisation (include examples, monomer, interactions and biodegradability)

Answer 3

addition polymers normally just have van der waals but condensation polymers have dipole-dipole nad hydrogen bonds

Question 4

How are polyamides formed? (Hint: there are two different ways)

Answer 4

from a dicarboxylic acid and diamine in a condensation reaction

condensation reaction between two amino acids

Question 5

How are polyesters formed?

Answer 5

A condensation reaction between a diol and dicarboxylic acid

Question 6

State what nylon 6,6 is made from?

Answer 6

1,6-diaminohexane + hexanedioic acid

Question 7

Name some uses ofnylon 6,6

Answer 7

Used to make clothing, carpet, rope, airbags and parachutes

Question 8

Draw an equation showing how nylon 6,6 is formed

Answer 8

Question 9

State what kevlaris made from

Answer 9

1,4-diaminobenzene and benzene-1,4-dicarboxylic acid

Question 10

Name some uses ofkevlar

Answer 10

Used in bulletproof vests, boat construction, car tyres and lightweight spots equipment

Question 11

Draw an equation showing how kevlaris formed

Answer 11

Question 12

State what terylene (PET) is made from

Answer 12

Benzene-1,4-dicarboxylic acid and ethane-1,2diol

Question 13

Name some uses ofterylene (PET)

Answer 13

Used in plastic bottles, clothing, sheets and sails

Question 14

Draw an equation showing how terylene (PET) is formed

Answer 14

Question 15

Why are polyalkenes (addition polymers)non-biodegradable and won’t react when being used?

Answer 15

Have non-polar C-C bonds= unreactive and chemically inert

Question 16

Why are condensation polymers biodegradable?

Answer 16

• • polar bonds (e.g. C=O)in chains = open to attack by nucleophiles
  • ∴ can be broken down by hydrolysis
  • ∴ are biodegradable but process is very slow

Question 17

What are the different ways of getting rid of plastics?

Answer 17

burning , burying (landfill) and recycling

Question 18

What are the pros and cons of landfill

Answer 18

Pros:

• Landfillis cheap and easy method of waste disposal

Cons:

• Requires areas of land
• As waste decomposes, can release methane = greenhouse effect
• ## Leaks from landfill contaminate water supplies

Question 19

What are the pros and cons of burning plastics

Answer 19

pros:

• Heat can be used to generate electricity

cons:

• Waste gases e.g. CO2will still contributed to greenhouse effect
• toxic gas (e.g. HCL gas) is produced so this process needs to be carefully controlled (need to be neutralised with a base)

Question 20

What are the two different ways of recycling plastics

Answer 20

• Some plastics can be melted and remoulded
• Some plastics can be cracked into monomers & these can be used to make more plastics or other chemicals

Question 21

What are the pros and cons of recycling

Answer 21

pros:

• Reduces amount of waste going into landfill
• Saves raw materials, oil = non-renewable
• Cost of recycling plastics is lower than making plastics from scratch
• Produces less COemissions than burning plastics

cons:

• It is technically difficult to recycle plastics
• Collecting, sorting and processing plastic is more expensive than burning/landfill
• Often can’t remake the plastic you started with, have to make something else
• Plastic can be easily contaminated during the recycling process

Question 22

What can be used to hydrolysed condensation polymers and why can’t addition polymers be hydrolysed?

Answer 22

NaOH/HCL (any strong acid or base)

Addition polymers contains repeating carbon-carbon bonds, which are extremely hard to break because they are non polar