polymers

what does the property of a polymer depend on?

the conditions in which it was created, and what monomer was used

how can you change the property of a polymer?

by changing the conditions it was made in

what are some examples of the production process that can be changed to alter the properties of a polymer?

• temperature

• pressure

• catalyst

what is a thermosoftening polymer?

melt when heated, so they can be reshaped and returned to a solid after cooling

what makes allows a thermosoftening polymer to melt?

• consist of individual tangled chains with no cross links, that are held together via intermolecular forces

• the IMFs can be broken while heating, and the IMFs are reformed after the polymer cools, returning to a solid

what is thermosetting polymer?

do not melt when heatedwha

why dont thermosetting polymers melt?

there are strong cross links between the chains of the polymer. the cross links cannot be broken by heat, and so it doesnt melt when heated