6C - Polymers

What are condensation polymers?

Two different types of monomers with different functional groups and each time a link is formed water is lost

What is an ester link?

-COO-

What is an amide link?

-CONH-

What is a polyamide made up of?

Dicarboxylic acid and diamine

What does nylon 6,6 look like?

What is nylon-6,6 used for?

Clothing, carpet, rope, airbags as it is strong and resistant to abrasion

What does Kevlar look like?

What are peptides?

Polymers between amino acids made of an amine functional group and a carboxylic acid

What are polyesters made from?

Dicarboxylic acids and diols

What are the advantages of recycling plastics?

• Reduces landfill waste

• Saves raw material

• Cost of recycling plastics is lower than making from scratch

• Produces less CO2 then burning

What are the disadvantages of recycling plastics?

• Difficult

• Collecting, sorting and processing plastic is expensive

• Often can’t remake same plastic

• Plastic can easily be contaminated

Why are polyalkene not biodegradeable?

Non-polar so not susceptible to attack by nucleophiles and therefore they are chemically inert

Why are condensation polymers biodegradeable?

Units are polar so are susceptible to attack by nucleophiles and hydrolysis can occur

What are the advantages of burying waste plastic?

• Cheap

• Easy method

Disadvantages of burying waste plastic?

• Requires area of land

• As waste decomposes it releases methane

• As waste decomposes it can release toxins into waterways

What are the advantages of burning waste plastic?

• Reduces volume of waste

• Can generate energy

What are the disadvantages of burning waste plastic?

• Can release harmful pollutants

• Requires significant energy input

• Can produce HCl