The term “polymer” is commonly used today in the plastics and composites industry, and it is often used as a synonym for “plastic” or “resin.” In actuality, polymers include a range of materials with a variety of unique properties. They are found in common household goods, in clothing and toys, in construction materials and insulation, and in numerous other products.
A polymer is a chemical compound with molecules bonded together in long repeating chains. Because of their structure, polymers have unique properties that can be tailored for different uses.
Polymers are both man-made and naturally occurring. Rubber, for example, is a natural polymeric material that has been used by man for thousands of years. It has excellent elastic qualities, the result of a molecular polymer chain created by mother nature. Another natural polymer is shellac, a resin produced by the lac bug in India and Thailand, which is used as a primer, sealant, and varnish. The most common natural polymer on earth is cellulose, an organic compound found in the cell walls of plants. It is used to produce paper products, textiles, and other materials such as cellophane.
Man-made or synthetic polymers include materials such as polyethylene (the most common plastic in the world, found in everything from shopping bags to storage containers) and polystyrene (the material used to make packing peanuts and disposable cups). Some synthetic polymers are pliable (thermoplastics), while others are permanently rigid (thermosets). Still, others have rubber-like properties (elastomers) or resemble plant or animal fibers (synthetic fibers). These materials are found in all sorts of products around the world, from swimsuits to cooking pans.
Depending on the desired use, polymers can be fine-tuned to leverage certain advantageous properties. These include:
Polymerization is the process of creating synthetic polymers by combining many small monomer molecules into chains held together by covalent bonds. There are two major forms of polymerization: step-growth polymerization and chain-growth polymerization. The main difference between the two is that in chain growth polymerization, monomer molecules are added to the chain one molecule at a time. In the case of step-growth polymerization, monomer molecules are bonded directly with one another.
If you were to look at a polymer chain close up, you would see that the visual structure and physical properties of the molecule chain mimic the actual physical properties of the polymer.
For example, if a polymer chain is comprised of tightly twisted bonds between monomers that are difficult to break, chances are the polymer will be strong and tough. On the other hand, if the polymer chain is composed of molecules with stretchy characteristics, chances are the polymer will have flexible properties as well.
Most polymers commonly referred to as plastics or thermoplastics consist of molecule chains that can be broken and re-bonded. If you think about most common plastics, they can be bent into new shapes by applying heat. They can also be recycled. Plastic soda bottles, for example, can be melted down and reused to make everything from new soda bottles to carpet to fleece jackets.
Cross-linked polymers, on the other hand, cannot re-bond after the cross-linked bond between molecules is broken. For this reason, cross-linked polymers often exhibit desired properties such as higher strength, rigidity, thermal properties, and hardness.
In FRP (Fiber Reinforced Polymer) composite products, cross-linked polymers are most commonly used, and they are referred to as resin or thermoset resin. The most common polymers used in composites are polyester, vinyl ester, and epoxy.
Common polymers used today include:
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