Polymer:
- Polymers is a large molecule composed of repeating structural units.
- Polymer plays an essential and important role in everyday life. Because of its extraordinary and wide range of properties.
- Natural polymeric materials such as shellac, amber and natural rubber have been used for centuries.
- The variety of other natural polymers like cellulose which is the main constituent of wood and paper.
- Synthetic polymers includes synthetic rubber, nylon, PVC, neoprene, Polypropylene, polystyrene, silicone and many other.
- Polymer is a backbone for preparation of plastics.
- Natural and synthetic polymers belong to the recent innovative products which are now competing with metals.
Advantages of Polymer:
Some of the advantages of polymers are as follows:
- Firstly they have good corrosion resistance.
- Secondly Strength to weight ratio is high.
- Thirdly easily mouldable and can be mass produced.
- Fourthly Good chemical resistance.
- Lastly low coefficient of friction.
Classification of Polymer:
There are two types of polymers which are as follows:
- Thermoplastic polymers
- Thermosetting polymers
1. Thermoplastic Polymer:
- These are polymers which soften on heating and harden when cooled.
- One can heat and cool polymers repeatedly as long as they keeps the temperature below its decomposition point.
- This is because they are composed of straight chain and branch chain molecules.
- Some commercial thermoplastic polymers are Polyethylene, PVC etc.
2. Thermosetting Polymers:
- These polymers gets soften during their first heating and become very hard on cooling i.e. they become permanently hard.
- On further heating, they become harder rather than softening.
- Once set, they becomes infusible and can not be remoulded.
- For example Phenolics, Epoxies, silicones etc.
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