Polymerisation

• What is the process by which condensation polymers form?

  A water molecule is removed from the species of a reaction
• What are the three main types of condensation polymers?

  • Polyamides
  • Polyesters
  • Polypeptides
• How are polyamides formed?

  They are formed in a reaction between dicarboxylic acid and a diamine

  
• What is the amide linkage in polyamides?

  • CONH- is the amide linkage
• Give an example of a polyamide.

  Nylon-6,6 is an example of a polyamide
• What is another common polyamide besides nylon-6,6?

  Kevlar is another common polyamide
• What characteristic of polyamides provides them with strength?

  They are commonly formed from long chain molecules
• How are polyesters formed?

  They are formed in a reaction between dicarboxylic acids and a diol

  
• What is the ester linkage in polyesters?

  • COO- is the ester linkage
• Give an example of a polyester.

  Terylene (PET) is a common polyester
• What are polypeptides formed from?

  Polypeptides are formed from multiple amino acids
• What allows a single monomer to produce a polypeptide?

  The presence of both a -NH and -OH group
• What is the peptide linkage in polypeptides?

  • CONH- is the peptide linkage
• How can condensation polymers be broken down?

  By the addition of H2O
• Why can water break down condensation polymers?

  Water is attracted to the polar regions of the polymer
• What are the uses of condensation polymers?

  They are used in bulletproof vests and heat protective materials
• What types of bonds do condensation polymers contain?

  They contain polar bonds such as those in ester and amide links
• What is a challenge associated with the disposal of polymers?

  Polymers can be hard to get rid of as waste products
• Why are polyalkenes considered non-biodegradable?

  They are very inert with non-polar bonds
• What is a consequence of burning polyalkenes?

  It produces harmful products such as SO2 or CO
• How can polyesters and polyamides be broken down?

  Through hydrolysis due to the polarity within the polymer molecules
• What happens to polyesters and polyamides in landfill?

  They gradually break down
• What is required for recycling plastics?

  All plastics have to be sorted and washed
• Why is recycling plastics considered a difficult process?

  It is time-consuming and requires sorting and washing