Questions on Polymers

(i)

Explain with reasons:

1. Polymers often act as insulators.
2. Many polymers are either transparent or translucent.
3. Unlike other materials polyethylene are soft.
4. Melanin dinnerware behaves like hard ceramics.
5. Modern ships are anchored with Nylon ropes not Polyethene ropes.
6. PVC pipes often are used in plumbing work.
7. Packaging material for Dry ice or Computers can be made from Styrofoam.
8. Teflon coating for non-stick cookware is a coomon sight.
9. Aircraft windows use PMMA or Perplex sheet.
10. Epoxy glue produce strong adhesives.
11. Oil resistant seals use Neoprene rubber.
12. Beverage packing prefers PET bottles.
13. Silicone coatings are sometime applied on fire resistant cables.
14. Modern combatants on duty wear Kevlar jackets.
15. Bakelite switches are being increasingly replaced.
16. Transport sector heavily advocate polymers over metals.
17. For cleaning brass cocks plumbers carry acids in polyethylene mugs.
18. Polyethylene ropes fail within years during drying cloths in sunlight.
19. Civil engineers still object to design structurals with polymers.
20. Thermoplastics suffer from poor stiffness values.
21. Crash helmets generelly constitute polycarbonates.
22. Acrylic paint does not hold good for outside walls.
23. Egg basket often uses polystrene.

(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
(vi)
(vii)
(viii)

Polymers with Co-polymers,

,
Organic materials with Polymers
Tg with Tm , Silicone rubber with Natural rubber.
Epoxy and Acrylic, Polymers with Elastomers,
Elasticity with Visco-elasticity, Chain linking with Cross linking,
Deflection Temperature with Degradation Temperature
Thermosets with Thermoplastics.
1

Hints to Polymer Questions:

1. Polymers often have band gap like ceramics, of 3 eV.
2. Amorphous like Glass with Band gap allows light rays to pass.
3. Polymer chains make poor resistace to indentation.
4. Thermoset - rigid cross-links with complex mers give load resistance.
5. 6,6-Nylon holds strong polyamide chains - Polyethene does not.
6..Cl-bonds provide strength & rigidity for structural form.
7..Polystrene particles blow into round hollow balls like sponge for packaging material.
8.Strong Floride chains make smooth & hard layer of high surface tension.
9. MMAcylate chains highly strong with of mers allowing light through gaps.
10.Chemical reactions produce strong primary bonds.
11. Coiled chains absorb energy (visco-elastic) with easy spread for choking pores of surface.
12. Thalte makes strong bonds for structure formation with flexibility of molding.
13. Refractory Silicate-mers with high ignition point form inflammable layer.
14. Amide m-fibres possess strong bond of thousands MPa that can resist splinters.
15. Thermoset Bakelite not recyclable and thus pollute environment.
16. Strength / Weight ratio high- so light structure consumes less fuel & carry more load.
17. Having no free electrons like metals does not react with acids - chemically resistant.
18. UV-sensitive mer-chains easily disintegrate leading to fracture & failures.
19. Visco-elastic character distorts members, disrupting structural equilibrium of loading.
20. Poor chain bond strength resists only very low loads () making deformation easy.
21. Carbonate mers with high bond strength provide also high toughness.
22. UV-sensitive and naturally disintegrate and spill off from walls under sunlight quickly.
23. Pores of styrene foam hold space for absorbing shock without damaging delicate eggs.