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Polymers
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What
are Polymers?
Do
you make crisp and golden pancakes
in
a non-stick pan? Well then let’s say our thanks to polytetrafluroethylene,
for this is what goes into giving the pan its non-stick coating. And,
polytetrafluroethylene or teflon as we know it, is a polymer. What is a
polymer?
The
word polymer comes from two Greek words - poly, which means many, and meros
meaning parts or units. With the secret out, it is anybody's guess what a
polymer is. Polymers are large molecules made up of hundreds of small
molecules joined together to form long chains. Some polymers occur
naturally, but some kinds of polymers are man-made. Man-made polymers
include many plastics and artificial fibers. The basic material for making
polymers is usually petroleum or coal.
Depending on how the polymers are made, they are hard, soft, rubbery,
ductile and so on.
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Some
of the naturally occurring polymers include rubber, proteins, cellulose,
starch and diamond. Nylon, polyester, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyacrilonitrile (acrylic, as we know it) are some textile fibers.
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How
is
nylon made?
Nylon
is made from four common elements, namely carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and
oxygen, all naturally found elements. To make nylon, the basic materials are
obtained from natural gas, petroleum, oat hulls and corncobs.
To
make nylon yarn, nylon salts are first formed by hooking two different kinds
of molecules together. The
nylon salt is then heated in a big pressure cooker, when the molecules of
the salt hook together to form a long chain of molecules called a nylon
polymer. When the polymer is heated,
it becomes a thick liquid. This liquid, when forced through a disk with
minuscule holes, comes out as fiber that becomes hard when cooled. Tiny
fragments of the fiber are gathered together to form a single yarn. This
yarn is stretched to three or four times its original length, to make it
strong and elastic. The resultant fiber is nylon.
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How Nylon is Produced |
We
use items made from man-made polymer in our day to day lives. Some examples: Some
kinds of bottles, carrier bags, containers and electrical insulation are
made from polythene. Carpets and blankets are made from polypropylene.
Aircraft windows and car lights are made from polymethyl methacrylate.
Polyurethane
is the base material for making foam and it is also used in furniture
upholstery.
Silicones
are used in the making of aircraft and spacecraft lubricants and for
laminating fiberglass.
Adhesives
are made from epoxide resin. |
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