Polymers: The Basics
- Polymers are large molecules built by linking 50 or more smaller molecules called monomers
- Each repeat unit is connected to the adjacent units via covalent bonds
- Some polymers contain just one type of unit
- Examples include poly(ethene) and poly(chloroethene), commonly known as PVC
- Others contain two or more different types of monomer units and which are called copolymers
- Examples include nylon and biological proteins
- Different linkages also exist, depending on the monomers and the type of polymerisation
- Examples of linkages are covalent bonds, amide links and ester links
Diagram showing how lots of monomers bond together to form a polymer
- Poly(ethene) is formed by the addition polymerisation of ethene monomers
- Addition polymerisation involves the addition of many monomers to make a long chained polymer
- In this case, many ethene monomers join together due to the carbon carbon double bond breaking
Poly(ethene) is formed by addition polymerisation using ethene monomers
