Polymer Chemistry Basics

Types of Polymers

• Homopolymer: consists of relatively long sequences of identical monomeric units
• Copolymer: consists of a mixture of more than one type of monomer

Physical Properties of Polymers

• Thermoplastic: softens on heating and can be converted to any shape by molding
• Isotactic polymer: a polymer in which the side groups of the monomers are arranged on the same side of the chain
• Thermoset: softens on heating, but does not become plastic and moldable

Definition and Terminology

• Polymer: a large molecule composed of many smaller molecules (monomers) bonded together
• Degree of polymerization: the number of monomer units in a polymer chain

Natural Polymers

• Biopolymer: includes proteins, cellulose, and silk

Natural vs Synthetic Polymers

• Main difference: source of origin (natural: occurs in nature, synthetic: produced by humans)

Role of Chemists

• About 80% of today's chemists, including biochemists, work on developing and improving polymers