Polymers

Polymers

1. A substance which has a molecular structure built up chiefly or completely from a large number of similar units bonded together, e.g. many synthetic organic materials used as plastics and resins.

2. Polymers are of two types: naturally occurring and synthetic or man made.

3. A polymer is a substance of high relative formula mass, made up of small repeating units. Poly(ethene) Poly(ethene) is a polymer made from very many ethene molecules combined together.

4. The C=C double bond in ethene is involved in the polymerisation reaction. It allows ethene molecules to join together to form a single product, so it is an example of an addition reaction. Poly(ethene) is an addition polymer.