8.

Possible ways of treating plastic wastes:

Incineration
Advantage: operation cost is low / volume of solid waste can be greately reduced / energy can
be recycled / reduce land wastage (1)
Disadvantage: incineration produces toxic gases / the cost of operating a controlled incineration
plant is high / produces air pollution (1)
Recycling
Advantage: save materials / plastic wastes can be converted to useful products (1)
Disadvantage: the cost of operating a recycling plant is high / separation of the different types
of plastics in the waste is costly / low quality plastics are produced by melting and remoulding
plastic wastes (1)
Landfilling
Advantage: does not cause much air pollution / a lot of plastic waste can be treated in a short
period of time (1)
Disadvantage: land wastage / it takes a long time for plastic wastes to degrade / may cause
pollution of underground water / slow release of toxins from landfill sites (1)
Pyrolysis
Advantage: save materials / useful products (e.g. methane, ethane) can be obtained (1)
Disadvantage: requires a lot of energy / high capital cost (1)
Communication mark 1
Candidates’ Performance:
Generally well answered. Most candidates were able to suggest ways for treating plastic
wastes, as well as their advantages and disadvantages. Many candidates did not use the proper
terms for waste treatment, e.g. ‘burning’ was used instead of ‘incineration’, and ‘burying
under ground’ was used instead of ‘landfilling’. Landfilling causes land wastage, but some
candidates wrongly wrote that landfilling could provide more land. Some candidates even
misinterpreted the question and wrote essays on the advantages and disadvantages of using
plastic items.

9. (a) (i) Monomer: 1

(Should show carbon-carbon double bond)

(ii) PS is a mixture of polymeric molecules of different chain lengths. 1
(b) (i) †condenser 1
(ii) Electric heating mantle / oil bath / sand bath should be used because kerosene is
flammable. 2
or Heat the mixture in a fume cupboard because styrene vapour is irritant. (2)
(iii) † addition polymerisation
(c) (i) Electricity leakage can be prevented. 1
(ii) Plastic does not corrode easily. 1
(iii) Low density 1
Candidates’ Performance:
(a) Poorly answered. Most candidates were not able to draw the structure of styrene, as they
were not able to deduce the structure from the given information. Hence, candidates
should have exercised their problem solving skills to handle the question.
(b) (ii) Poorly answered. Only a few candidates were able to put forward a relevant safety
precaution for this organic chemistry experiment. Only a smaller number of
candidates were able to explain the reason why such a precaution was needed. This
revealed that candidates might not have enough laboratory experience.
6
10. (i) 1

(ii) PE contains only C–H and C–C bonds. These bonds are strong / unreactive / not readily
attacked by chemicals. 1
or PE is saturated. It is unreactive towards other chemicals. (1)
Candidates’ Performance:
(i) Generally well answered.
(ii) Poorly answered. Many candidates failed to correlate the durability of polyethene to the
strong C–C bonds present in the polymer chains.

11. (i) Structure 1

or –CF2–CF2–CF2–CF2–CF2–CF2–CF2–CF2–CF2–CF2– (1)
or –CF2CF2CF2CF2CF2CF2CF2CF2CF2CF2– (1)
(ii) Repeating unit: 1

or –CF2–CF2– (1)
or –CF2CF2– (1)
Monomer: CF2=CF2 / tetrafluoroethene (May accept diagram) 1
(Should show double bond)
Candidates’ Performance:
(i) Poorly answered. Many candidates were not able to write the structure of Teflon
correctly.
(ii) Many candidates gave wrong answers such as –(CF2)– as the repeating unit.

12. (a) addition polymerisation (†) 1

(b)

1
Candidates’ Performance:
(a) Fairly answered. Some candidates wrongly wrote ‘additional reaction’ or ‘condensation
reaction’.
(b) Fairly answered. Some candidates failed to give the subscript ‘n’.