We explain what polymer is, their classification, properties and characteristics. In addition, natural and synthetic polymers.
In chemistry , polymers are a type of macromolecules consisting of chains of simpler units , called monomers, linked together by covalent bonds (Van der Waals forces, hydrogen bonds or hydrophobic interactions). Its name, in fact, comes from the Greek polys (“many”) and groupers (“segment”).
They are generally organic molecules of enormous importance both in the natural and in the industrial world of the human being . These include the DNA in our cells or the starch of the plants, even the nylon and most plastics .
At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, how to manipulate them was discovered . This revolutionized the handling of materials by humanity forever.
If they are classified according to their origin , the polymers can be:
If they are classified according to their composition , we can distinguish between:
Natural polymers exist as such in nature , as biomolecules and compounds that make up the body of living beings . The emergence of natural polymers in the world represented an important point in the biochemical complexity of life .
These include the vast majority of proteins , nucleic acids, polysaccharides (complex sugars, such as plant cellulose and fungal chitin ), rubber or vegetable rubber, and a huge etcetera.
The first synthetic polymer was created in 1907: bakelite , durable and inexpensive material. Its great industrial success was largely due to its simple and economical manufacturing, using phenol and formaldehyde. Much progress has been made since then in obtaining new and more powerful materials of organic origin, particularly in the petrochemical industry.
The polymers can be created in the laboratory by joining specific monomers in a chain , using organic or inorganic inputs, under controlled conditions of temperature , pressure and presence of catalysts. This generates a chain or step reaction that results in the generation of the compound .
In general, polymers are bad electrical conductors , so they are often used as insulators in the electrical industry, for example, plastic as a cable wrap. However, there are conductive polymers, created in 1974, whose applications are still being studied.
Temperature, on the other hand, is an important factor in the behavior of polymers. At low temperatures they become hard, fragile , similar to glass, while at normal temperatures they tend to elasticity . If the temperature rises towards its melting point , they begin to lose their shape and decompose.
Some of the best known and most important human polymers are:
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