Names for Polymers

The lUPAC Macromolecular Nomenclature Commission has developed a systematic nomenclature for polymers (Al, A2). The Commission recognized, however, that a number of common polymers have semisystematic or trivial names that are well established by usage. For the reader s convenience, the recommended trivial name (or the source-based name) of the polymer is given under the polymer structure, and then the structure-based name is given. For example, the trivial name, polystyrene, is a source-based name, literally the polymer made from styrene. The structure-based name, poly(l-phenylethylene), is useful both in addressing people who may not be familiar with the structure of polystyrene and in cases where the polymer is not well known. This book uses a source-based nomenclature, unless otherwise specified. The following structures are lUPAC recommended. 

OOCCH3 poly(vinyl acetate) poly(l-acetoxyethylene) 

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Elastomers. Elastomers is a generic name for polymers that exhibit rubberlike elasticity. Elastomers are soft yet sufficiently elastic that they can be stretched several hundred percent under tension. When the stretching force is removed, they retract rapidly and recover their original dimensions. 

Ionomer. Ionomer is the generic name for polymers based on sodium or zinc salts of ethylene-methacrylic acid copolymers in which interchain ionic bonding, occurring randomly between the long-chain polymer molecules, produces solid-state properties. 

In addition to structure-based and source-based names, there are traditional names (or retained names) for polymers which are widely used, particularly in industry but also in academia. When they meet the requirements of utility and when they fit into the general pattern of systematic nomenclature, these traditional names are retained. The following... 

The fundamental principles and the basic rules of the structure-based nomenclature are given first, accompanied by detailed extensions and applications. An Appendix contains names of common subunits as well as a list of acceptable source-based names, along with the corresponding structure-based names, of common polymers. There is no strong preference for the use of structure-based names over source-based names for polymers where the latter are clear and unambiguous, but for certain purposes one system of naming may be preferred to the other. 

The Commission recognized that a number of common polymers have semisystematic or trivial source-based names that are well established by usage it is not intended that they be immediately supplanted by the structure-based names. Nevertheless, it is hoped that for scientific communication the use of semisystematic or trivial source-based names for polymers will be kept to a minimum. 

Since the 1950s, synthetic polymers have been used as art binders. The most common groups are referred to as the vinyls and acrylics by artists. Both groupings represent a wide variety of polymers and copolymers and are inaccurately, or at best not accurately, named. For polymer scientists, the term vinyl generally refers to PVC, but to artists it may refer to many other materials. Even so, most of the synthetic paint market today is based on acrylics. Acrylic paints are typically water emulsions of synthetic polymers. In art, the term acrylic is used to describe a wide variety of polymers and copolymers that can be considered as derivatives of acrylic acids. Most acrylics used in art binders are PMMA (Equation 6.61), PVAc (Equation 6.64), poly( -butyl methacrylate) (Equation 6.65), and copolymers such as poly(ethyl acrylate-comethacrylate). 

The lUPAC names for polymers are often very complicated and lengthy. Therefore, parallel to the systematic names, some semi-systematic or trivial names are allowed. Here, in most cases, the name of the basic monomer is used in combination with the prefix poly . Polystyrene may serve as an example. Brackets are used for the name of the monomer when it contains more than one word such as poly(vinyl chloride) ... 

Precise chemical names for polymers are frequently long and unwieldy, so a system of generally accepted abbreviations has arisen. Table 2.1 lists the names of a number of common homopolymers and copolymers, along with the abbreviations commonly used for them. Polymer chemists usually use parentheses in the name to contain the monomer, or repeating unit for example poly(acrylonitrile) or poly(ethylene). However, in many fields, including packaging, it is common to omit... 

A generic name for polymers produced from acrylic acid/derivatives, mostly polymethylmethacrylate, or polyacrylonitrile fibre. 

The data tables in each chapter are provided there in order of the names of the polymers. In this data book, mostly source-based polymer names are applied. These names are more common in use, and they are usually given in the original sotuces, too. Structure-based names, for which details aboirt their nomenclatiue can be found in the Polymer Handbook (1999BRA), are chosen in some single cases only. CAS index names for polymers are not applied here. Finally, the list of systems and properties in order of the polymers in Appendix 1 is made by ttsing the names as given in the chapters of this book. 

Silicone Generic name for polymers with (—SiR2—O—) links Bayer, Dow, General Electric... 

Silicon si-li-kon [NL silica + E -on (as in carbon)] (1817) n. Generic name for polymers with (-SiR2-0-) links. Manufactured by Bayer, Germany Dow, USA and General Electric, USA. 

Becanse the systematic names of polymers can he cumbersome, trade names and abbreviations are frequently used as a shortcut in industrial literature and oral communication. For example, the simple generic name nylon-6,6, in which the first nnmber refers to the number of carbon atoms of the diamine component and the second number to that of the diacid component used to form the polyamide, appears often in the literature in lieu of systematic names snch as poly(iminoadipoyliminohexane-l,6-diyl) (structure-based name) or poly[hexamethylenediamine-aZf-(adipic acid)] (source-based name). Usefnl compilations of trade names for polymers can be foimd in references (36-43) and (47-53). 

Polyurethane is a general name for polymers featuring the urethane bond as indicated below ... 

Neoprene is the generic name for polymers of chloroprene (2-chIoro-1,3-butadiene), first manufactured by Du Pont in 1931. There are many types of solid and latex neoprene. 

In this seetion, it is intended to highlight the characteristics of the CA index names for polymers and compare them with some of the typical names used in the scientific community. 

Structural repeating units (SRU), equivalent to lUPAC constitutional repeating units (CRU), are selected and named for polymers that have well documented regular sbucture, o can confident be assumed. Assumptions am made for... 

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