MEME-251251-MATERIALS ENGINEERING

Chapter 13 Polymer Structures

POLYMERS
-A polymer is a large molecule (macromolecule) composed
of repeating structural units.
-These sub-units are typically connected by covalent
chemical bonds.
Monomers

Real Linear
polymer chain AFM

-Natural polymers (Wood, Rubber, Cotton, Cellulose, plants,

animals)
-Synthetic
polymers
(day-to-day
life
Packaging,
kitchenware, automobiles, machines) (Plastics)

POLYMERS
-Synthetic
polymers
(day-to-day
kitchenware, automobiles, machines)

life

Packaging,

Characteristics of Polymers
-Light weight
-Low density, strength, stiffness
-Low thermal and electrical conductivity
-Good resistance to corrosion
-High coefficient of thermal expansion
-Easy to fabricate
-Low cost
Viscoelasticity

The stressstrain behavior for brittle (curve A), plastic

(curve B), and highly elastic (elastomeric) (curve C) Polymers

The influence of temperature on the stressstrain characteristics of

poly(methyl methacrylate).

Terminology used in Polymers

Polymers
- Polymers are composed of a large number of repeating
units of small molecules called monomers
- i.e. polymer is made up of thousands of monomers
joined together to form a large molecule
Monomers
Monomers are the small molecules which combine
together to form a polymer
Polymerization
It is the reaction which involves the union of small
molecules to form molecules having higher molecular
weight called polymer

Homopolymer
- It is a polymer made out of identical monomer
- i.e. when all the repeating units along the chain are of
the same type called homopolymer
Copolymer
It is polymer which is obtained by adding different types
of monomers
Degree of polymerization
-The number of repeating units present in one molecule
of a polymer is known as degree of polymerization
-It is used to designate the average chain size of a
polymer
Degree of polymerization =

Molecular weight of a polymer

Molecular weight of a sin gle monomer

Types of Homopolymer
Linear homopolymer (Monomers are joined end-to-end)
Branched polymers

Network structure

Cross-linked polymers

-Types of copolymers
Random copolymer
Alternating copolymer
Block copolymer
Grafted copolymer

-Molecular structure of polymers

- Most polymers are organic in origin
- Many organic materials are hydrocarbons
- i.e. most polymers are hydrocarbon
- Single covalent bond (CH4, C2H6, Dichloromethane
C(H2Cl2) (Saturated bond)

-Molecular structure of polymers

- Double covalent bond (C2H4) (unsaturated bond)

- Triple covalent bond (C2H2) (unsaturated bond)

-Molecular structure of polymers

- Saturated atoms
* If there is no provision for additional atoms to be
added to the chain, such molecules are said to be saturated
* All single bonded molecules are saturated one
-Unsaturated atoms
* If there is provision for additional atoms to be added
to the chain, such molecule are said to be unsaturated one
* All double or triple bonded molecules are
unsaturated one
- Unsaturated molecules are important in the polymerization
of process of polymers