Polymers in Pharmacy

What is a polymer

a natural or synthetic substance made up a series of monomers

how much monomers is a polymer made up of

200

if fewer than 200 monomers are joined together then what is it called

oligomer

what are the different types of polymers

• crystalline

• amorphous

• semi-crystalline

what is a crystalline polymer

the structure of the polymer chains allow them to have a high degree of order

what is an amorphous polymer

means that the structure of the polymer chains is such that they cannot pack together in an order manner

what is a semi - crystalline polymer

a mixture of the two polymers

how do you tell the difference between amorphous polymers and crystalline polymers

• crystalline polymers will have sharp melting points

• amophorous polymers will have broad melting points

• both has glass transition tempratures (Tg)

why do crytalline polymers have sharp melting points

because of their highly ordered structures

how can a crystalline polymer be made amorphous

melting and cooling

applications of polymers in pharmacy (2)

• binders

• emulsifers and surfactants

what should all polymers in pharmacy be classifed as

water soluble or water insoluble