Polymer nomenclature condensation

In far too many instances trade-name polymer nomenclature conveys very little meaning regarding the structure of a polymer. Many condensation polymers, in fact, seem not to have names. Thus the polymer obtained by the step polymerization of formaldehyde and phenol is variously referred to a phenol-formaldehyde polymer, phenol-formaldehyde resin, phenolic, phenolic resin, and phenoplast. Polymers of formaldehyde or other aldehydes with urea or melamine are generally referred to as amino resins or aminoplasts without any more specific names. It is often extremely difficult to determine which aldehyde and which amino monomers have been used to synthesize a particular polymer being referred to as an amino resin. More specific nomenclature, if it can be called that, is afforded by indicating the two reactants as in names such as urea-formaldehyde resin or melamine-formaldehyde resin. 

Name the following condensation polymers according to the common nomenclature... 

The pinnacle of synthetic polymer branching must reside in a new generation of polymers known as dendrimers (Fig. 2) (5,6). Dendrimers are typically branched condensation polymers in which the branching is so well controlled that the polymers grow in well-defined rows described in the dendrimer nomenclature as generations. The use of dendrimers in cosmetics is only beginning as these polymers are currently costly and not readily available in commercial quantities. 

Polyesters may be formed by the reaction of a diol with a dicarboxylic acid or a dicarboxylate ester. In some older organic textbooks, you will find this referred to as a condensation polymer (because it is formed by a condensation reaction), but the polymer community frowns on this nomenclature. One such polymer is polyethylene terephthalate (PET) (Figure 21.18). Much of this is used in fibers for clothing and home furnishings. As a thin film. Mylar is used for survival blankets and balloons, as well as thermal and electrical insulation, food and drink packaging, cine films, and musical and electronic equipment. The reaction involved is a transesterification (Figure 21.19). 

For some important groups of polymers, special names and systems of nomenclature were developed. For instance, the nylons were named according to the number of carbons in the diamine and dicarboxylic acid reactants used in their synthesis. The nylon produced by the condensation of 1,6-hexamethylenediamine (6 carbons) and adipic acid (6 carbons) is called nylon-6,6. Even here, there is no set standard as to how nylon-6,6 is to be written with alternatives including nylon-66 and nylon-6,6. 

A survey of the Additive Molar Functions (AMFs), which will be discussed in this book, is given in Scheme 3.3. There the names, symbols and definitions are given of the 21 AMFs from which the majority of the physical and physicochemical properties of polymers can be calculated or at least estimated. Scheme 3.3 is at the same time a condensed list of the Nomenclature used. 

The polymeric phosphazenes are treated in chapter (see Polyphosphazenes) A recent monograph covers the chemistry of polyphosphazenes (nomenclature, synthesis of cyclic monomers , ring opening polymerization, condensation polymerization, substitution, polymer properties, and applications more than 1000 literature citations). Other reviews have also been published recently. Sulfur-containing polyphosphazenes have also been described. ... 

The Commission on Macromolecular Nomenclature defined 52 terms related to polymer structure, including polymer, constitutional units, monomer, polymerization, regular polymer, tactic polymer, block polymer, graft polymer, monomeric unit, degree of polymerization, addition polymerization, condensation polymerization, homopolymer. 

The names of many polymers are based on the monomers from which they were prepared. There is, however, frequent variation in the format. A nomenclature of polymers was reconunended by lUPAC and is used in some publications. Strict adherence to the recommendation, however, is mainly found in reference wor. Also, problems are often encountered with complex polymeric structures that are crosslinked or have branches. In addition some polymers derive their names from trade names. For instance, a large family of polyamides is known as nylons. When more than one functional group is present in the structure, the material may be called according to all functional groups in the structure. An example is a polyesteramide. A thermoset polymer prepared from two different materials may be called by both names. For instance, a condensation product of melamine and formaldehyde is called melamine-formaldehyde polymer. 

The many ways to make polymers can be broken into two types of reactions based on the mechanisms of the polymerization, step and chain reactions (5). This reaction classification was termed condensation or addition reactions in the past but this archaic nomenclature is slowly dying away. The labels step and chain were developed for the two types of polymerizations by Flory and Mark (5, 6). All step reactions conduct the same stepwise reaction between all reactive entities in the reaction mixture. The... 

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