POLYMERS

 

  •  Polymers are macromolecules composed of one or more chemical units (known as monomers) that are repeated throughout the chain. Imagine, for instance, a pearl necklace: each one of the pearls would be a monomer, while the entire necklace is what is known as a polymer.

  • Although we do not see them at first sight, polymers surround us in our daily lives. 
  • For example, polyurethane is one of the most versatile polymers and is used in everything from sports equipment, shoes or swimsuits to building large engineering structures. 
  • The clothes you are wearing surely include polyesters and polyamides; and polycarbonates are more than usual in canned food.

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POLYMERIZATION

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 The process of building polymers is polymerization and consists of the union by covalent bonds of the different monomers that comprise it. This process can be of two types: By condensation.  It results in copolymers and homopolymers, through the loss of a small molecule (of water, for example) at each monomer bond. It is also known as step polymerization. By addition.  It occurs in a three-phase process: initiation, propagation, and termination, during which homolytic cleavage occurs and monomers come together. No low molecular mass molecules are released.
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EXAMPLES OF POLYMERS

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   Polymers are very important compounds, since some fulfill vital functions in living beings. For example: proteins, DNA. Many of them are present in nature and in practically everything that surrounds us. For example: plastic in a toy; the rubber in car tires; the wool in a sweater. Some well known are: Cellulose . It is the biopolymer from which wood and paper are made. DNA . It is the deoxyribonucleic acid present in the nucleus of our cells is a good example of a natural polymer. The PCV . Polyvinyl chloride is obtained by polymerizing vinyl chloride and is one of the most versatile plastic derivatives that exist. Starch . It is a white, odorless and tasteless substance, composed of two types of sugars. It is used by plants as an energy reserve material. Nylon . Known as nylon or nylon, it is a polyamide used in the manufacture of traditional female stockings as well as for ropes, parachutes and thousands of other textile supplies. Bakelite . It is the first synthetic plastic subs
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