Chapter 10: Polymers - Sources, Origins and Properties

Vocabulary flashcards covering polymer origins, production processes, classifications, and additives based on Chapter 10.

Synthetic polymers

Polymers derived and manufactured from crude oil and petrochemicals rather than natural sources.

Biopolymers

Natural polymers derived from renewable materials, such as plants or animal-derived waste.

Monomers

Small individual molecules that bond together in repeating chains to create polymers.

Polymerisation

The chemical process in which monomers join together into long repeating chains to produce plastics.

Fractional distillation

The refinery process that separates crude oil into various hydrocarbon fractions based on differences in their boiling points.

Cracking

The industrial process that uses heat and a catalyst to break down heavier hydrocarbon fractions into smaller, lighter, and more useful molecules.

Thermoplastics

Plastics with tangled chains that soften when heated, allowing them to be repeatedly reshaped, cooled, and recycled.

Thermosetting plastics

Plastics that form permanent cross-links between polymer chains during moulding and cannot be remelted or reshaped by reheating.

Cross-linking

Chemical bonds formed between adjacent polymer chains in thermosetting plastics that hold them rigidly in place and prevent melting.

Pigments

Substances added to polymers to alter or provide colour to the finished plastic material.

Plasticisers

Chemical additives mixed into polymers to improve their flexibility and pliability.

Flame retardants

Additives incorporated into polymers to increase fire resistance and reduce flammability.