Download Organic Chemistry II: Polymers

Lecture:
Organic
Chemist
ry, Pg1
Chemistry in Context
Lecture: Organic Chemistry II; February 22, 2007; Pg1
III.
Cross-linking was
discovered by accident
by Charles Goodyear
when he heated tree
rubber with sulfur.
What is a polymer?
A.
A polymer is a long-chain molecule made from
a connected chain of small molecule units
called monomers.
-- cross-linkage strengthens the polymers
B.
Some examples include:
Monomer
Polymer
glucose
sucrose
amino acid
protein
ethylene (ethene)
polyethylene
Chemistry in Context
Lecture: Organic Chemistry II; February 22, 2007; Pg2
IV.
Chemistry, Pg2
What are plastics?
A.
All plastics are polymers but not all polymers
are plastics.
B.
Molded when heated & soft and cooled to harden.
-- can be malleable and flexible or rigid
C.
Classified/identified by resin codes (#1-7)
indicating how they were made and what they are
used for.
D.
Do not biodegrade (break down in the
environment very easily) and can be a waste
management concern.
1)
Reduce
2)
Reuse
3)
Recycle
Millions of tons of plastics are disposed of in
landfills in the United States every year.