Classification of Polymers Properties

Classification of Polymers Properties 1223 Addition Polymers A Review and a Preview 1225 Chain Branching in Free-Radical Polymerization 1227 Anionic Polymerization Living Polymers 1230 1 Cationic Polymerization 1232... 

Table 1. Classification of Polymers According to Properties and Processing...

Polymer identification starts with a series of preliminary tests. In contrast to low molecular weight organic compounds, which are frequently satisfactorily identified simply by their melting or boiling point, molecular weight and elementary composition, precise identification of polymers is difficult by the presence of copolymers, the statistical character of the composition, macromolecular properties and, by potential polymeric-analogous reactions. Exact classification of polymers is not usually possible from a few preliminary tests. Further physical data must be measured and specific reactions must be carried out in order to make a reliable classification. The efficiency of physical methods such as IR spectroscopy and NMR spectroscopy as well as pyrolysis gas chromatography makes them particularly important. 

The book is divided into three parts. The first part covers polymer fundamentals. This includes a brief discussion of the historical development of polymers, basic definitions and concepts, and an overview of the basis for the various classifications of polymers. It also examines the requirements for polymer formation from monomers and discusses polymer structure at three levels primary, secondary, and tertiary. The relationship between the structure of the monomers and properties of the resulting polymer is highlighted. This section continues with a discussion of polymer modification techniques. Throughout the discussion, emphasis is on the structure-property relationship and several examples are used to illustrate this concept. 

Polymer composites are also classified into renewable/nonrenewable polymer composites depending upon the nature of the polymer/matrix [1, 13, 16]. Figure 1.5 (b) show the classification of polymer composites depending upon the renewable/nonrenewable nature. Polymer composites in which both components are obtained from biorenewable resources are referred to as 100% renewable composites, while composites in which at least one component is from a biorenewable resource are referred to as partly renewable polymer composites 1, 13, 16]. Chapter 4 of the book presents a review on the state-of-the-art of partly renewable polymer composites with a particular focus on the hybrid vegetable/glass fiber composites. This chapter summarizes the hybridization effect on the properties of the final thermoplastic and thermoset polymer matrices... 

Polymer blends are a mixture of at least two polymers, their combination being supposed to lead to new materials with different properties. The classification of polymer blends into (1) immiscible polymer blends, (2) compatible polymer blends, and (3) miscible polymer blends is given by the thermodynamic properties of the resulting compound by means of the number of glass transition temperatures observed for the final product. To improve the compatibility between the blended polymers, some additives or fillers are used. To the same extent, rubber blends are mixtures of elastomers, which are usually combined to obtain an improved product, with properties derived from each individual component. 

The classification of polymer mesophases have been considered in many reports (P-70). On analyzing the published data there arises much controversy in the identification. In order to avoid confusion in terminology it is necessary to define the basic terms relating to polymer columnar mesophases before further discussion. Columnar polymer systems have both a correlation of the centers of gravity and molecular orientation, but have mesomorphic properties due to the conformational disorder both of the polymer back-bone and side chains. The structural unit of the polymeric columnar mesophase is a macromolecule. In columnar phases macromolecules form regular 2D-periodic arrays. The two-dimensional symmetry of the column packing and the parameters of two-dimensional lattice are strongly dependent on the form and dimensions of the cross-section of a polymer molecule. 

All the polymers used in polymer—surfactant interaction studies are water soluble. The interaction that they develop with one or more surfactants depends on the nature of both interacting partners. The macroscopic incidences of their interaction on liquid-phase properties are linked to concentration regimes at which associating polymers and surfactants are used. Therefore, Lindman and Thalberg [10] proposed a classification of polymer-surfactant interaction types according to the following ... 

The nomenclature of cellular polymers is not standardized classifications have been made according to the properties of the base polymer (22), the methods of manufacture, the cellular stmcture, or some combination of these. The most comprehensive classification of cellular plastics, proposed in 1958 (23), has not been adopted and is not consistent with some of the common names for the more important commercial products. 

The use of light olefins, diolefins, and aromatic-based monomers for producing commercial polymers is dealt with in the last two chapters. Chapter 11 reviews the chemistry involved in the synthesis of polymers, their classification, and their general properties. This book does not discuss the kinetics of polymer reactions. More specialized polymer chemistry texts may be consulted for this purpose. 

After a temptative structure-based classification of different kinds of polymorphism, a description of possible crystallization and interconversion conditions is presented. The influence on the polymorphic behavior of comonomeric units and of a second polymeric component in miscible blends is described for some polymer systems. It is also shown that other characterization techniques, besides diffraction techniques, can be useful in the study of polymorphism in polymers. Finally, some effects of polymorphism on the properties of polymeric materials are discussed. 

Having established the basic principles of classification in polymer chemistry, we will now turn our attention to individual polymers and consider a little about their physical and chemical properties. Most of the examples which... 

The chemical and physical properties of the polymers obtained by these alternate methods are identical, except insofar as they are affected by differences in molecular weight. In order to avoid the confusion which would result if classification of the products were to be based on the method of synthesis actually employed in each case, it has been proposed that the substance be referred to as a condensation polymer in such instances, irrespective of whether a condensation or an addition polymerization process was used in its preparation. The cyclic compound is after all a condensation product of one or more bifunctional compounds, and in this sense the linear polymer obtained from the cyclic intermediate can be regarded as the polymeric derivative of the bifunctional monomer(s). Furthermore, each of the polymers listed in Table III may be degraded to bifunctional monomers differing in composition from the structural unit, although such degradation of polyethylene oxide and the polythioether may be difficult. Apart from the demands of any particular definition, it is clearly desirable to include all of these substances among the condensation... 

In this classification of the compounds into mucopolysaccharides, mucoproteins, and mucolipids, it must be emphasized most strongly that since the mode of isolation of any naturally occurring high polymer influences profoundly its composition and biological properties, the difference between divisions is not always sharp and there may be some degree of overlapping. 

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