Polymers are very large molecules made when hundreds of

monomers join together to form long chains.

❖The small individual repeating units/molecules

are known as monomers(means single part).
❖Imagine that a monomer can be representedby
the letter A. Then a polymer made of that
monomer would have the structure:

-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-
Degree of Polymerisation
<N> is degree of polymerization

<N> = Mo/Mt
<N> = 1/1-p
kt = 1 [ 1 - 1 ]
n-1 [Mt]n-1 [M0]n-1
Functionality : number of reactive sites

Advantages of Polymers
 CLASSIFICATION OF
POLYMERS
1. By Origin
2. By Monomer
3. By Thermal Response
4. By Mode Of Formation
5. By Structure
6. By Physical Properties
7. By Tacticity
8. By Application
BY ORIGIN

❑ NATURAL POLYMERS
❑ SEMI-SYNTHETIC POLYMERS
❑ SYNTHETIC POLYMERS
❖Natural Polymers
➢Polymers which are isolated from natural
materials are called as natural polymers.
E.g. Silk, Wool, Natural rubber, Cellulose, Starch,
Proteins etc.
❖Semisynthetic Polymers
➢The polymers obtained by simple chemical
treatment of natural polymers to improve
their physical properties like lustrous nature,
tensile strength are called semisynthetic
polymers
E.g. Cellulose acetate, Cellulose nitrate
❖Synthetic Polymers
➢Polymers synthesized in laboratory from low
molecular weight compounds, are called as,
synthetic polymers.
E.g. Nylon,Terylene, Polyethylene, Polystyrene,
Synthetic rubber, Nylon, PVC, Bakelite, Teflon etc.
BY MONOMER

❑ HOMOPOLYMER
❑ COPOLYMER
❑ SYNTHETIC POLYMERS
❖Homo Polymers
➢A polymer consist of identical monomers is
called homo polymer.
E.g. Polyethylene, PVC, Polypropylene, Nylon 6

❖Co Polymers
➢Apolymer consist of monomers of different
chemical structure are called copolymers.
E.g. Nylon 6,6
BY THERMAL RESPONSE

❑ THERMOPLASTIC
❑ THERMOSETTING POLYMER
❖Thermoplastic Polymers
➢ They are easily moulded in desired shapes by heating
and subsequent cooling at room temperature.
➢ They are soft in hot and hard on coding.
➢ They my be linear or branched chain polymers.
E.g. PE, PVC, PS,PP
❖Thermosetting Polymers
➢This polymer is hard and infusible on heating.
➢These are not soft on heating under pressure and
they are not remolded.
➢These are cross linked polymers and are not
reused.
E.g. Bakelite
BY METHOD OF FORMATION

❑ ADDITION POLYMERISATION
❑ CONDENSATION
POLYMERISATION
❖Addition Polymers
➢The polymers formed by the addition of
monomers repeatedly without removal of by
products are called addition polymers.
➢These polymers contains all the atoms of
monomers hence their molecular weight are
integral multiple of monomer unit.
E.g. Teflon, Polyethylene, Polypropylene, PVC.
❖Condensation Polymers

➢They are formed by the combination of two

monomers by removal of small molecules like
H2O, Alcohol or NH3. Their molecular mass is not
the integral multiple of monomer units.
➢They have ester and amide linkage in their
molecules.
E.g. Polyamides(Nylons), Polyesters(PET)
BY STRUCTURE

❑ LINEAR
❑ BRANCHED
❑ CROSSLINKED
❖Linear Polymers
➢In these polymers monomers are linked with
each other and form a long straight chain.
➢These chains has no any side chains.
➢Their molecules are closely packed and have high
density, tensile strength, and melting point.
E.g. HDPE, Nylons
❖Branched Polymers
➢They have a straight long chain with different
side chains.
➢Their molecules are irregularly packed hence
they have low density, Tensile strength and
melting point.
E.g. LDPE, LLDPE
❖Cross-linked Polymer
➢In these monomeric units are linked together to
constitute a 3D network.
➢The links involved are called cross links.
➢They are hard, rigid .and brittle due to their
network structure.
E.g. Bakelite, Melamine, Formaldehyde resins,
Vulcanized rubber
BY MOLECULAR FORCES

❑ FIBER
❑ ELASTOMER
❑ PLASTIC Fiber

❑ RESIN Plastic

Stress
Elastomer

Strain
❖Fibers
➢If polymer is drawn into long filament like
material whose length is at least 100 timesit’s
diameter, are said to be converted into fiber.
➢They have high tensile strength because of high
intermolecular attractive force like Hydrogen
bonding.
➢Highly crystalline.
E.g. Nylon, Terylene.
❖Plastics
➢Polymer is shaped into hard and tough utility
articles by application of heat and pressure, is
known as plastics.
➢Here the intermolecular force between
polymeric chains are intermediate between
elastomers and fibers.
➢They are partially crystalline.
E.g. Polystyrene, PVC, PMMA
❖Elastomers
➢They are solids with rubber like elastic
properties.
➢Here the polymeric chains are held together by
the weakest intermolecular forces so they are
highly amorphous in nature.
➢These weak binding forces permit them to be
stretched.
E.g. Natural rubber, BUNA-S, BUNA-N,
Vulcanised rubber
❖Resins
➢Low molecular weight.
➢Polymers which are used as adhesives, sealants
etc., in a liquid form are described as liquid
resins.
E.g. Epoxy adhesives and polysulphides sealants.
BY TACTICITY

❑ ISOTACTIC
❑ SYNDIOTACTIC
❑ ATACTIC
disposition of side groups in space
❖ The head to tail configuration in which the functional groups are
all deposited on the same side of the chain, is called ISOTACTIC
POLYMERS.

❖ If the position of side groups is in alternating fashion, it is called

SYNDIOTACTIC POLYMERS.

❖ If the position of side groups are at random around the main, it is

called ATACTIC POLYMERS.
Based on monomer

Geometric Isomerism
By Application
❑ Commodity
❑ Engineering
❑ High Performance

Volume Performance Prize

Commodity

Engineering

High Performance
By End Use Application
❑ Film
❑ Foams - contains small pores and bubbles
❑ Coating – paints, varnish
❑ Adhesives
❑ Fibers
❑ Elastomers
❑ Plastics
❑ Advanced polymers
▪ High performance
▪ Conducting
▪ Biomedical polymers
❖ By Crystallinity
1. Crystalline – Monomers arranged in ordered way.
2. Amorphous – Monomers arranged in random way.
❖ By Backbone Atom
1. Organic – Polymer Backbone is made-up of
carbon atom.
2. Inorganic – Polymer Backbone is made-up of
other atoms
Carbon carbon Chain-- one single bond
with double bond
with triple bond
Heterochain polymers
C-O polyesters
C-S polythioethers
C-M polyamines
How much sulphur must be added to 100 g of
polyisoprene rubber to crosslink 5 % of the monomer
units ? Assume that all sulphur is used up and one
sulphur atom is used per crosslink
NOMENCLATURE

ONLY ONE MONOMER--- Polymonomer

Monomer consists of more than one word poly(monomer name)

Tacticity - prefix i, s etc

Cis trans to be included before the polymer

Condensation polymerization

Co-polymer poly(styrene-co-isoprene)
 BRIEF WRITE UP ON THE STRUCTURE, PROPERTY AND APPLICATIONS
OF THE FOLLOWING POLYMERS
SNo POLYMER DEPT NO NAME
1 STARCH 101 R POOVITHA
2 CELLULOSE 103 PREETI T
3 POLYURETHANE 106 ANIDA JOHN
4 POLYMETHYLMETHACRYLATE 108 ASHA SHALINI V J
5 SILICONE POLYMERS 109 KARTHIKA KALYANSUNDAR
6 NATURAL RUBBER 110 ROSHINI N
7 STYRENEBUTADIENERUBBER 114 JAYASHREE N
8 NEOPRENE 117 RK SRIVARSHINI
9 POLY LACTIC ACID 118 ANITTA ROY
10 SODIUM ALGINATE 119 ANNIE ZEALMA B
11 POLYVINYL ALCOHOL 121 SOWMIYA P
12 POLYPYRROLE 122 NITHYA J
13 POLYMER BLENDS 124 SAHAYA SASMI J
14 POLYPROPYLENE 126 ARUNOTHAYAM

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