Comparing Polymers

Polymers are large substances whose structures are made up of multiple repeating units. They are often composed of hydrocarbons, compounds of carbon and hydrogen. Polymers are created by a process called polymerization which consists of many small molecules called monomers that are combined into a covalently bonded chain. The term “polymer” derives from a Greek word: polus, meaning “many” and meros, meaning “parts”. The property of polymers are easy processing as majority are thermoplastics, meaning that they can be softened by heat and hardened by cooling in a reversible physical process. Another useful property of polymer is that they are unreactive, meaning that they are suitable for storing food and chemical safely. However, this property

Teflon is a polyamide that is produced by an addition reaction, while nylon is a polyamide that is formed from the condensation reaction.

Teflon

Nylon is an artificial fibre that is one of the most commonly used polyamides. It was first discovered by an American chemist, Wallace Carothers in 1935. Nylon comes in various different types depending on the nature of those chains. The two most common ones for industries are nylon 6 and nylon-6,6. Nylon 6 is made from a single monomer called caprolactam.

Whereas, Nylon 6,6 is made from two monomers and each contains 6 carbon atoms. One of the monomers is a 6 carbon acid with a -COOH group at each end. While the other monomer is a 6 carbon chain with an amino group at each end. When both of these two compounds polymerize, each time with the loss of a molecule of water between the two monomers. Hence, it is considered as a condensation polymerization. Finally, when the loss of water between the two monomers keep happening, you will be getting a chain with a formula:

Its ability to take dye which means that it can be made into many different colours makes it even more important for clothing manufacturers. Many companies benefit from the discovery of nylon because it is more cheap to produce clothing using nylon and the clothing manufactured can be much better quality than other materials. Other uses of nylon includes seat belts, tire cords, and parachutes. Many manufacturers prefer to use nylon to make parachutes because of its strength and has a springy material that makes parachutes to be lightweight, easy to pack, resistant to mildew and less expensive. Some types of parachutes are made of a nylon and carbon fiber combination, which makes them even stronger without compromising performance. This strength allows people to reach the ground calmly and