ORGANIC MATERIAL….

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

DHARMSINH DESAI UNIVERSITY

Introduction…
Derived directly from carbon
Carbon chemically combine with Hydrogen, Oxygen
or other non metallic substances.
Structure is very complex.
Wide range of organic materials is available.
• Polymers
• Wood
• Resins

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Polymer…
Derived from two Greek words
• Poly: Many
• Meros: Parts or Units
Monomers are joined together end to end in a
polymerization reaction.
Polymer is a macromolecule formed due to thousands
of monomers joined together.

Polymer…
 Types of polymers

1. Natural polymers
Protein, Starch , Cellulose, and Lignin are found
in wood, Leather, fur, wool, cotton, silk, rubber,
rope etc.

2. Synthetic polymers
Polyethylene, Poly styrene, Nylon, Terylene,
Dacron are found in plastics, fibers, elastomers.

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 Size of polymer…
Size of polymer is measured by Degree of polymerization
(D.P.)
It refers to the number of repeating units.
D.P is 10: 10 monomers per molecule,
the substance formed is a light oil-paraffin formed from
ethylene.
As D.P. increases the substance becomes greasy and then more
waxy.
D.P. is 1000: The substance becomes a solid means true
polymer.
The molecular weight is another measure of chain length.
Mol.Wt of polymer = D.P. * Mol. Wt of monomer
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 Addition Polymerization or Chain
Growth Polymerization
Under suitable conditions of pressure and temperature
and in presence of a catalyst(initiator), the polymer is
produced by adding a second monomer to first , then a
third to second, fourth to third and so on until the long
polymer chain is terminated.
This mode of polymerization leading to an increase in
chain growth or chain length can take place through the
formation of either free radicals or ionic species.
e.g. Polyethylene from ethylene

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Condensation Polymerization Or Step
Growth Polymerization

Condensation polymerization, a form of step growth

polymerization, is a process by which two molecules join
together, resulting loss of small molecules which is often
water.
The type of end product resulting from a condensation
polymerization is dependent on the number of functional
end groups of the monomer which can react.
In these reactions, the product of each step is again a
bi-functional species and the sequence of condensation goes
on.
e.g. Phenol formaldehyde, Bakelite
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SOME CONDENSATION POLYMERS

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 Additions to polymers…
1. Plasticizers
◦ Complex organic compounds of low molecular
weight.
◦ Essentially oily in nature
◦ Organic solvents, Resins and water are used as
plasticizers.
◦ Act as internal lubricants that improve fluidity
and flexibility of the material.
◦ Also prevent the crystallization by keeping the
chains separated.

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Additions to polymers…
2. Fillers
◦ Wood flour, asbestos fibre, glass fibre, cloth fibre are added in
high proportions as fillers.
◦ Improve strength, dimensional stability, heat resistance.
3. Catalysts
◦ Used to promote faster and more complete polymerization.
◦ Also known as accelerators and hardeners.
4. Initiators
◦ Used to initiate the reaction of polymerization.
◦ Stabilize the ends or reaction sites of the molecular chains.
◦ H2O2 is the most common initiator.
5. Dyes and pigments
◦ Used to color the materials of different shades.

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Thermoplastic Polymers -
Thermoplastics
Solid materials at room temperature but viscous liquids
when heated to temperatures of only a few hundred
degrees
This characteristic allows them to be easily and
economically shaped into products
They can be subjected to heating and cooling cycles
repeatedly without significant degradation
Symbolized by TP
Thermoplastics:
◦ Polyethylene, polyvinylchloride, polypropylene,
polystyrene, and nylon
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Thermosetting Polymers -
Thermosets
Cannot tolerate repeated heating cycles as thermoplastics
can
◦ When initially heated, they soften and flow for molding
◦ Elevated temperatures also produce a chemical reaction
that hardens the material into an infusible solid
◦ If reheated, thermosets degrade and char rather than
soften
Symbolized by TS
Thermosets:
◦ Phenolics, epoxies, and certain polyesters
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Elastomers (Rubbers)
Polymers that exhibit extreme elastic extensibility when
subjected to relatively low mechanical stress
Some elastomers can be stretched by a factor of 10 and yet
completely recover to their original shape

Elastomers:
◦ Natural rubber (vulcanized)
◦ Synthetic rubbers, which exceed the tonnage of natural
rubber

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Reasons Why Polymers are

Important
Plastics can be molded into intricate part shapes, usually
with no further processing
◦ Very compatible with net shape processing
On a volumetric basis, polymers:
◦ Are cost competitive with metals
◦ Generally require less energy to produce than metals
Certain plastics are transparent, which makes them
competitive with glass in some applications

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General Properties of
Polymers
Low density relative to metals and ceramics
Good strength-to-weight ratios for certain (but not all)
polymers
High corrosion resistance
Low electrical and thermal conductivity

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Limitations of Polymers
Low strength relative to metals and ceramics
Service temperatures are limited to only a few hundred
degrees
Viscoelastic properties, which can be a distinct limitation in
load bearing applications
Some polymers degrade when subjected to sunlight and
other forms of radiation

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CONDUCTING Polymers:
Polymeric materials which possess electrical conductivities
on par with metallic conductors. Such polymers are called
conducting polymers.

E.g.
polyaniline
polyacetylene,
polypyrrole,
polyindole

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Degradation of Polymer:
Polymer degradation is a change in the properties—tensile strength,
color, shape, etc.—of a polymer or polymer-based product under the
influence of one or more environmental factors such as heat, light or
chemicals such as acids, alkalis and some salts.
These changes are usually undesirable, such as cracking and chemical
disintegration of products or, more rarely, desirable, as in
biodegradation, or deliberately lowering the molecular weight of a
polymer for recycling. The changes in properties are often termed
"aging".

Degradation can be useful for recycling/reusing the polymer waste to

prevent or reduce environmental pollution.
Degradation can also be induced deliberately to assist structure
determination.
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