ES 202 TUTORIAL SHEET

Q1. Below, molecular weight data for a polytetrafluoroethylene material are

tabulated. Compute (a) the number-average molecular weight, (b) the weight-average
molecular weight, and (c) the degree of polymerization.

Q2. (a) Is it possible to grind up and reuse phenol-formaldehyde? Why or why not?
(b) Is it possible to grind up and reuse polypropylene? Why or why not?

Q3. For each of the following pairs of polymers, do the following: (1) state whether
or not it is possible to determine whether one polymer is more likely to crystallize
than the other; (2) if it is possible, note which is the more likely and then cite
reason(s) for your choice; and (3) if it is not possible to decide, then state why.
(a) Linear and atactic poly(vinyl chloride); linear and isotactic polypropylene.
(b) Linear and syndiotactic polypropylene; crosslinked cis-isoprene.
(c) Network phenol-formaldehyde; linear and isotactic polystyrene.
(d) Block poly(acrylonitrile-isoprene) copolymer; graft poly(chloroprene-
isobutylene) copolymer. [OPTIONAL as you may need to know what are atactic/
isotactic structures]
Q4. For each of the following pairs of polymers, plot and label schematic specific
volume versus temperature curves on the same graph (i.e., make separate plots for
parts a, b, and c).
(a) Linear polyethylene with a weight average molecular weight of 75,000 g/mol;
branched polyethylene with a weight average molecular weight of 50,000 g/mol
(b) Spherulitic poly(vinyl chloride), of 50% crystallinity, and having a degree of
polymerization of 5000; spherulitic polypropylene, of 50% crystallinity, and degree
of polymerization of 10,000
(c) Totally amorphous polystyrene having a degree of polymerization of 7000; totally
amorphous polypropylene having a degree of polymerization of 7000

Q5. Which of the following would you expect to be elastomers and which
thermosetting polymers at room temperature? Justify each choice.
(a) Linear and highly crystalline polyethylene
(b) Phenol-formaldehyde
(c) Heavily crosslinked polyisoprene having a glass-transition temperature of
(d) Lightly crosslinked polyisoprene having a glass-transition temperature of
(e) Linear and partially amorphous poly(vinyl chloride)

Q6. For each of the following pairs of polymers, do the following: (1) state whether
or not it is possible to decide whether one polymer has a higher tensile modulus than
the other; (2) if this is possible, note which has the higher tensile modulus and then
cite the reason(s) for your choice; and (3) if it is not possible to decide, then state
why.
(a) Branched and atactic poly(vinyl chloride) with a weight-average molecular weight
of 100,000 g/mol; linear and isotactic poly(vinyl chloride) having a weight-average
molecular weight of 75,000 g/mol
(b) Random styrene-butadiene copolymer with 5% of possible sites crosslinked;
block styrene-butadiene copolymer with 10% of possible sites crosslinked
(c) Branched polyethylene with a number average molecular weight of 100,000 g/
mol; atactic polypropylene with a number-average molecular weight of 150,000 g/
mol