Chemistry · Ch 15 — Introduction to Polymer Chemistry
Commercially important polymers
Commercially important polymers
Beyond the individually-named polymers already covered in section 15.3, many further polymers are used extensively across industry and everyday products. Table 15.1 collects eight such commercially important polymers side by side -- Perspex (acrylic glass), Buna N, PVC, polyacrylamide, urea-formaldehyde resin, glyptal, polycarbonate, and thermocol (expanded polystyrene) -- each with its trade name, the monomer(s) it is made from, its repeating-unit structure, and its principal real-world applications, giving a single quick-reference sum …
Trade name | Monomer | Polymer structure (repeat unit) | Applications
Perspex / acrylic glass | Methyl methacrylate | -[CH2-C(CH3)(COOMe)]n- | Lenses, paint, security barrier, LCD screen, shatter-resistant glass
Buna N | Butadiene and acrylonitrile | -[H2C-CH=CH-CH2-CH2-CH(CN)]n- | Adhesives, rubber belts, shoe soles, O-rings, gaskets
PVC (polyvinyl chloride) | Vinyl chloride | -[CH2-CHCl]n- | Water pipes, rain coats, flooring
Polyacrylamide | Acrylamide | -[CH2-CH(CONH2)]n- | Polyacrylamide gel used in electrophoresis
Urea-formaldehyde resin | a. Urea b. Formaldehyde | -[NH-CO-NH-CH2]n- | Unbreakable dinnerware, decorative laminates
Glyptal | a. Ethylene glycol b. Phthalic acid | -[O-CH2-CH2-OOC-C6H4-CO]n- | Paints and lacquers
Polycarbonate | a. Bisphenol b. Phosgene | -[O-C6H4-C(CH3)2-C6H4-O-CO]n- | Electrical and telecommunication hardware, food-grade plastic containers …