Synthetic Clothing Materials and Polymers

Flashcards covering the definitions of polymers, types of synthetic and natural fibres, properties of plastics, and environmental disposal principles from the chemistry lecture notes.

Polymer

A compound of high molecular mass formed by the combination of a large number of small molecules.

Monomer

The small molecules which constitute the repeating units in a polymer.

Polymerization

The process by which monomers are transformed into a polymer.

Natural Fibres

Fibres obtained from plants (e.g., cotton), animals (e.g., wool, silk), or minerals (e.g., asbestos).

Synthetic Fibres

Continuous filament fibres synthesized by humans from petrochemical raw materials like petrol and natural gas.

Rayon

The first man-made semi-synthetic fibre, composed of regenerated cellulose; it is also known as Viscose.

Nylon

The first fully synthetic fibre (prepared in 1931), which is an acronym for Newyork ($NY$) and London ($LON$).

Nylon-6,6 Monomers

The monomer units of the most common nylon are adipic acid and hexamethylene diamine.

Polyester

A synthetic fabric made of repeating units of a chemical called ester, which has a fruit-like smell.

Terylene

A type of polyester also known as Dacron or Mylar, often used in making light-weight sails for boats.

Acrylic

A synthetic fibre also known as ORLON or ACRILAN that closely resembles wool in its properties.

Spandex

A copolymer of polyester and polyurethane known for its excellent elasticity; also called LYCRA or ELASTANE.

Koroseal

A trade name for a high polymer of vinyl chloride that is both waterproof and airproof.

Tensile Strength

The ability of a material, such as a synthetic fibre, to handle and withstand heavy loads without breaking.

Elasticity

The ability of a material to regain its original shape after it has been stretched or compressed.

Blended Fibres

Fabrics formed by mixing two different fibres, such as Polycot (polyester and cotton) or Terrywool (Terylene and wool).

Plastic

A polymeric material which can be easily moulded or set into any desired shape and size.

Linear Plastics

Plastics where monomer units are joined in long straight chains stacked over one another, such as HDPE or PVC.

Cross-linked Plastics

Three-dimensional network structures that are hard and rigid, such as Bakelite or melamine-formaldehyde.

Thermoplastics

Plastics that soften on heating and harden on cooling, and are capable of undergoing these reversible changes repeatedly; examples include polyethylene and PVC.

Thermosetting Plastics

Polymers that set in a given shape on heating and cannot be softened or melted upon being reheated, such as bakelite and melamine.

Bakelite

The first completely synthetic substance (created by Leo Baekeland in 1907), it is a thermosetting phenol formaldehyde resin used for electrical switches.

Melamine

A thermosetting polymer used for making unbreakable dinner-ware and fire-resistant coatings for firemen uniforms.

Teflon

The brand name for polytetrafluoroethylene ($PTFE$), with monomer units of tetrafluoro ethylene ($CF_2 = CF_2$), used for non-stick cookware coatings.

Biodegradable Wastes

Waste materials that can be decomposed into simpler substances through natural processes like the action of microorganisms.

Non-biodegradable Wastes

Waste materials not easily decomposed by natural resources, such as metal cans and plastic bags.

5 R Principle

The environmental guidelines for responsible citizens: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Recover, and Refuse.

Biodegradable Plastic Examples

Starch based biopolymers and Polyhydroxyalkanoates ($PHA$'s) like Poly-3-hydroxy butyrate ($PHB$).