The Formation of Polymers

Abstract

Living organisms have the capacity for producing large and complex molecules from simple ingredients. These large molecules are principally composed of carbon and hydrogen atoms. The long fibrous molecules produced by their respective organisms help to determine the properties possessed by naturally occurring materials such as timbers, wool, cotton and natural rubber. The whole range of plastics materials is also based on very large molecular structures, but in this case the large molecules are often produced synthetically. These substances containing large molecules are termed polymers, the name derived from poly, meaning many, and mer, unit. The chemical compounds which are reacted together to create polymer molecules are referred to as monomers. These monomers, the building blocks of plasties materials, can be reacted together, or polymerised, in several ways and these are described in subsequent sections of this chapter. The polymers produced may possess linear or non-linear structures.