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CondensationpolymerWikipedia

Condensationpolymer
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Condensationpolymersareanykindofpolymersformedthroughacondensationreactionwheremoleculesjointogetherlosingsmallmoleculesasby
productssuchaswaterormethanol,asopposedtoadditionpolymerswhichinvolvethereactionofunsaturatedmonomers.Typesofcondensationpolymers
includepolyamides,polyacetalsandpolyesters.
Condensationpolymerization,aformofstepgrowthpolymerization,isaprocessbywhichtwomoleculesjointogether,resultinginlossofsmallmoleculeswhich
areoftenwater.Thetypeofendproductresultingfromacondensationpolymerizationisdependentonthenumberoffunctionalendgroupsofthemonomerwhich
canreact.
Monomerswithonlyonereactivegroupterminateagrowingchain,andthusgiveendproductswithalowermolecularweight.Linearpolymersarecreatedusing
monomerswithtworeactiveendgroupsandmonomerswithmorethantwoendgroupsgivethreedimensionalpolymerswhicharecrosslinked.
DehydrationsynthesisofteninvolvesjoiningmonomerswithanOH(hydroxyl)groupandafreelyionizedHoneitherend(suchasahydrogenfromtheNH2in
nylonorproteins).Normally,twoormoredifferentmonomersareusedinthereaction.Thebondsbetweenthehydroxylgroup,thehydrogenatomandtheir
respectiveatomsbreakformingwaterfromthehydroxylandhydrogen,andthepolymer.
Polyesteriscreatedthroughesterlinkagesbetweenmonomers,whichinvolvethefunctionalgroupscarboxylandhydroxyl(anorganicacidandanalcohol
monomer).
Nylonisanothercommoncondensationpolymer.Itcanbemanufacturedbyreactingdiamineswithcarboxylderivatives.Inthisexamplethederivativeisadi
carboxylicacid,butdiacylchloridesarealsoused.Anotherapproachusedisthereactionofdifunctionalmonomers,withoneamineandonecarboxylicacid
grouponthesamemolecule:

Generalchemicalstructureofonetypeofcondensationpolymer

Thecarboxylicacidsandamineslinktoformpeptidebonds,alsoknownasamidegroups.Proteinsarecondensationpolymersmadefromaminoacidmonomers.
Carbohydratesarealsocondensationpolymersmadefromsugarmonomerssuchasglucose(i.e.cellulose[1]orglycogen)andgalactose.
Condensationpolymerizationisoccasionallyusedtoformsimplehydrocarbons.Thismethod,however,isexpensiveandinefficient,sotheadditionpolymerof
ethene(polyethylene)isgenerallyused.

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CondensationpolymerWikipedia

Condensationpolymers,unlikeadditionpolymers,maybebiodegradable.Thepeptideoresterbondsbetweenmonomerscanbehydrolysedbyacidcatalystsor
bacterialenzymesbreakingthepolymerchainintosmallerpieces.
Themostcommonlyknowncondensationpolymersareproteins,fabricssuchasnylon,silk,orpolyester.CharacteristicsofCondensationPolymers,Condensation
polymersformmoreslowlythanadditionpolymers,oftenrequiringheat,andtheyaregenerallylowerinmolecularweight.Theterminalfunctionalgroupsonachain
remainactive,sothatgroupsofshorterchainscombineintolongerchainsinthelatestagesofpolymerization.Thepresenceofpolarfunctionalgroupsonthechains
oftenenhanceschainchainattractions,particularlyiftheseinvolvehydrogenbonding,andtherebycrystallinityandtensilestrength.Thefollowingexamplesof
condensationpolymersareillustrative.Notethatforcommercialsynthesisthecarboxylicacidcomponentsmayactuallybeemployedintheformofderivativessuch
assimpleesters.Also,thepolymerizationreactionsforNylon6andSpandexdonotproceedbyeliminationofwaterorothersmallmolecules.Nevertheless,the
polymerclearlyformsbyastepgrowthprocess.

Seealso
Biopolymer
Polyester
Polyamide

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References
1.Senese,Frederick."GeneralChemistryOnline:FAQ:Chemistryofeverydaylife:Whatiscellulose?".FrostburgStateUniversity.Retrieved17April2015.

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