ORGANIC CHEMISTRY: POLYMERS
Organic chemistry has a discipline that deals with the study of those compounds of high molecular weight such are named polymers. A polymer is a chemical compound that is made of small molecules that are arranged in a simple repeating structure to form a larger molecule.
PLASTICS
WHAT IS A PLASTIC?
Plastic is a material consisting of any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organics that are malleable and can be molded into solid objects of diverse shapes. Plastics are typically organic polymers of high molecular mass, but they often contain other substances
As with so many technological advances, plastics bring not just enormous benefits to society but also grave threats if misused. On the one hand they allow us to make goods that would otherwise be impossible to fabricate economically, goods that we rely on in everyday life.
There are already several solutions to the problems of both manufacturing and disposing of plastics, but these are not always mutually compatible. Making a plastic from a renewable resource does not necessarily mean that its disposal will be eco-friendly.
PLASTICS IN OUR DAILY LIFE
Plastic is everywhere in our day to day lives – but, of course, ‘plastic’ is just a catch-all term for a range of different chemical substances. This graphic takes a look at some of the more common plastics we encounter on a regular basis, and examines their chemical structures. Below, we’ll also talk a little about how these plastics are created.
All plastics we use or encounter are substances called polymers. These polymers are themselves formed from chemical entities called monomers. Monomers can be a range of differing compounds, but specific polymers will generally contain monomers of only one or two types. The polymers are formed by joining together many monomers, like a long chain of paperclips, to form one long molecule.
Some examples of Polymers:
