CHM 315 Note.

Prepared by:
A. M. Mustapha (2023)...KASU
CHM 315 (MACROMOLECULAR CHEMISTRY I)

APPLICATION OF POLYMERS
There are many different polymeric materials that are familiar to us and find a wide variety of
applications; in fact, one way of classifying them is according to their enduse. Within this scheme
the various polymer types include plastics, elastomers (or rubbers), fibers, coatings, adhesives,
films and foams. Polymers have applications in agriculture, medicine, consumer service, industry
and sports.
1. PLASTICS
Possibly the largest number of different polymeric materials come under the plastic classification.
Plastics are materials that have some structural rigidity under load, and are used in general-purpose
applications. Polyethylene, polypropylene, poly(vinyl chloride), polystyrene, and the
fluorocarbons, epoxies, phenolics, and polyesters are all classified as plastics. They have a wide
variety of combinations of properties. Some plastics are very rigid and brittle. Others are flexible,
exhibiting both elastic and plastic deformations when stressed, and sometimes experiencing
considerable deformation before fracture. Plastic materials may be either thermoplastic or
thermosetting; in fact, this is the manner in which they are usually subclassified.
a. Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) b. Acrylics (poly-methyl-methacrylate)
c. Fluorocarbons (PTFE or TFE) d. Polyamides (nylons)
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e. Polycarbonates f. Polyethylene
g. Polypropylene h. Polystyrene
i. Polyester (PET or PETE)
j. Epoxies k. Phenolics
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Table 1: Trade Names, Characteristics, and Typical Applications for a Number of Plastic
Materials
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2. ELASTOMER
Table 2 lists properties and applications of common elastomers; these properties are typical and,
of course, depend on the degree of vulcanization and on whether any reinforcement is used. Natural
rubber is still utilized to a large degree because it has an outstanding combination of desirable
properties. However, the most important synthetic elastomer is SBR, which is used predominantly
in automobile tires, reinforced with carbon black. NBR, which is highly resistant to degradation
and swelling, is another common synthetic elastomer.
Table 2: Important Characteristics and Typical Applications for Five Commercial Elastomer
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3. FIBRES
The fiber polymers are capable of being drawn into long filaments having at least a 100:1 length-
to-diameter ratio. Most commercial fiber polymers are utilized in the textile industry, being woven
or knit into cloth or fabric. Commercially important textile fibers are grouped by their origin: the
natural, regenerated and synthetic fibers.
4. COATINGS
Coatings are frequently applied to the surface of materials to serve one or more of the following
functions:
(1) to protect the item from the environment that may produce corrosive or deteriorative reactions;
(2) to improve the item’s appearance; and
(3) to provide electrical insulation.
Many of the ingredients in coating materials are polymers, the majority of which are organic in
origin. These organic coatings fall into several different classifications, as follows: paint, varnish,
enamel, lacquer, and shellac.
Many common coatings are latexes. A latex is a stable suspension of small insoluble polymer
particles dispersed in water. These materials have become increasingly popular because they don’t
contain large quantities of organic solvents that are emitted into the environment—that is, they
have low volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. VOCs react in the atmosphere to produce
smog. Large users of coatings such as automobile manufacturers continue to reduce their VOC
emissions to comply with environmental regulations.
5. ADHESIVES
An adhesive is a substance used to bond together the surfaces of two solid materials (termed
“adherends”). There are two types of bonding mechanisms: mechanical and chemical. For
mechanical there is actual penetration of the adhesive into surface pores and crevices. Chemical
bonding involves intermolecular forces between the adhesive and adherend, which forces may be
covalent and/or van der Waals; degree of van der Waals bonding is enhanced when the adhesive
material contains polar groups.
Although natural adhesives (animal glue, casein, starch, and rosin) are still used for many
applications, a host of new adhesive materials based on synthetic polymers have been developed;
these include polyurethanes, polysiloxanes (silicones), epoxies, polyimides, acrylics, and rubber
materials. Adhesives may be used to join a large variety of materials—viz. metals, ceramics,
polymers, composites, skin, etc.— and the choice of which adhesive to use will depend on such
factors as:
(1) the materials to be bonded and their porosities;
(2) the required adhesive properties (i.e., whether the bond is to be temporary or permanent);
(3) maximum/minimum exposure temperatures; and
(4) processing conditions.
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6. FILMS
Polymeric materials have found widespread use in the form of thin films. Films having thicknesses
between 0.025 and 0.125 mm (0.001 and 0.005 in.) are fabricated and used extensively as bags for
packaging food products and other merchandise, as textile products, and a host of other uses.
Important characteristics of the materials produced and used as films include low density, a high
degree of flexibility, high tensile and tear strengths, resistance to attack by moisture and other
chemicals, and low permeability to some gases, especially water vapor. Some of the polymers that
meet these criteria and are manufactured in film form are polyethylene, polypropylene, cellophane,
and cellulose acetate.
7. FOAMS
Foams are plastic materials that contain a relatively high volume percentage of small pores and
trapped gas bubbles. Both thermoplastic and thermosetting materials are used as foams; these
include polyurethane, rubber, polystyrene, and poly(vinyl chloride). Foams are commonly used as
cushions in automobiles and furniture as well as in packaging and thermal insulation. The foaming
process is often carried out by incorporating into the batch of material a blowing agent that, upon
heating, decomposes with the liberation of a gas. Gas bubbles are generated throughout the now-
fluid mass, which remain in the solid upon cooling and give rise to a sponge-like structure. The
same effect is produced by dissolving an inert gas into a molten polymer under high pressure.
When the pressure is rapidly reduced, the gas comes out of solution and forms bubbles and pores
that remain in the solid as it cools.
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CHM 315 (MACROMOLECULAR CHEMISTRY I)

a. Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) b. Acrylics (poly-methyl-methacrylate)

c. Fluorocarbons (PTFE or TFE) d. Polyamides (nylons)

i. Polyester (PET or PETE)

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