Homopolymers poly

Properties Homopolymer Copolymer 20% glass-reinforced homopolymer 25% glass-reinforced copolymer 21% poly(tetrafluoroethylene)- filled homopolymer... 

Formaldehyde homopolymer is composed exclusively of repeating oxymethylene units and is described by the term poly oxymethylene (POM) [9002-81-7]. Commercially significant copolymers, for example [95327-43-8] have a minor fraction (typically less than 5 mol %) of alkyUdene or other units, derived from cycHc ethers or cycHc formals, distributed along the polymer chain. The occasional break in the oxymethylene sequences has significant ramifications for polymer stabilization. 

The many commercially attractive properties of acetal resins are due in large part to the inherent high crystallinity of the base polymers. Values reported for percentage crystallinity (x ray, density) range from 60 to 77%. The lower values are typical of copolymer. Poly oxymethylene most commonly crystallizes in a hexagonal unit cell (9) with the polymer chains in a 9/5 helix (10,11). An orthorhombic unit cell has also been reported (9). The oxyethylene units in copolymers of trioxane and ethylene oxide can be incorporated in the crystal lattice (12). The nominal value of the melting point of homopolymer is 175°C, that of the copolymer is 165°C. Other thermal properties, which depend substantially on the crystallization or melting of the polymer, are Hsted in Table 1. See also reference 13. 

The major use of vinylpyrrohdinone is as a monomer in manufacture of poly(vinylpyrrohdinone) (PVP) homopolymer and in various copolymers, where it frequendy imparts hydrophilic properties. When PVP was first produced, its principal use was as a blood plasma substitute and extender, a use no longer sanctioned. These polymers are used in pharmaceutical and cosmetic appHcations, soft contact lenses, and viscosity index improvers. The monomer serves as a component in radiation-cured polymer compositions, serving as a reactive diluent that reduces viscosity and increases cross-linking rates (see... 

Poly(ethylene terephthalate), the predominant commercial polyester, has been sold under trademark names including Dacron (Du Pont), Terylene (ICI), Eortrel (Wellman), Trevira (Hoechst-Celanese), and others (17). Other commercially produced homopolyester textile fiber compositions iaclude p oly (1,4-cyc1 oh exa n e- dim ethyl en e terephthalate) [24936-69-4] (Kodel II, Eastman), poly(butylene terephthalate) [26062-94-2] (PBT) (Trevira, Hoechst-Celanese), and poly(ethylene 4-oxyben2oate) [25248-22-0] (A-Tell, Unitika). Other polyester homopolymer fibers available for specialty uses iaclude polyglycoHde [26124-68-5] polypivalolactone [24937-51-7] and polylactide [26100-51-6],... 

Polymer Solutions. Perhaps the most extensively studied macromolecular Hquid crystals are the synthetic polypeptides, such as poly( y-benzyl L-glutamate) [25513-40-0] (PBLG). PBLG is a homopolymer of the L-enantiomorph of a single amino acid with the foUowiag repeat unit. 

Examples of the two macromolecular nomenclature systems are as foUows. For source-based names for homopolymers and copolymers polyacrylonitrile, poly(methyl methacrylate), poly(acrylainide- (9-vinylpyrroHdinone), polybutadiene- /oi / -polystyrene, and poly(propyl... 

Homopolymers of PO and other epoxides are named a number of ways after the monomer, eg, poly(propylene oxide) (PPO) or polymethjioxirane from a stmctural point of view, polyoxypropylene or poly(propylene glycol) or from the Chemicaly hstracts (CA) name, poly[oxy(methyl-l,2-ethanediyl)], a-hydro- CO-hydroxy-. Common names are used extensively in the Hterature and in this article. 

Similarly, the random introduction by copolymerization of stericaHy incompatible repeating unit B into chains of crystalline A reduces the crystalline melting point and degree of crystallinity. If is reduced to T, crystals cannot form. Isotactic polypropylene and linear polyethylene homopolymers are each highly crystalline plastics. However, a random 65% ethylene—35% propylene copolymer of the two, poly(ethylene- (9-prop5lene) is a completely amorphous ethylene—propylene mbber (EPR). On the other hand, block copolymers of the two, poly(ethylene- -prop5iene) of the same overall composition, are highly crystalline. X-ray studies of these materials reveal both the polyethylene lattice and the isotactic polypropylene lattice, as the different blocks crystallize in thek own lattices. 

Molecular weights of poly(propylene oxide) polymers of greater than 100,000 are prepared from catalysts containing FeCl (40,41). The molecular weight of these polymers is gready increased by the addition of small amounts of organic isocyanates (42). Homopolymers of propylene oxide are also prepared by catalysis using diethylzinc—water (43), diphenylzinc—water (44), and trialkyl aluminum (45,46) systems. 

Vinylidene chloride copolymers were among the first synthetic polymers to be commercialized. Their most valuable property is low permeabiUty to a wide range of gases and vapors. From the beginning in 1939, the word Saran has been used for polymers with high vinylidene chloride content, and it is still a trademark of The Dow Chemical Company in some countries. Sometimes Saran and poly (vinylidene chloride) are used interchangeably in the Hterature. This can lead to confusion because, although Saran includes the homopolymer, only copolymers have commercial importance. The homopolymer, ie, poly (vinylidene chloride), is not commonly used because it is difficult to fabricate. 

Poly(vinyl alcohol) used to manufacture the poly(vinyl acetal)s is made from poly(vinyl acetate) homopolymer (see Vinyl polymers, vinyl alcohol polymers Vinyl POLYMERS, vinyl acetate polymers). Hydrolysis of poly(vinyl acetate) homopolymer produces a polyol with predominandy 1,3-glycol units. The polyol also contains up to 2 wt % 1,2-glycol units that come from head-to-head bonding during the polymeri2ation of vinyl acetate monomer. Poly(vinyl acetate) hydrolysis is seldom complete, and for some appHcations, not desired. For example, commercial PVF resins may contain up to 13 wt % unhydroly2ed poly(vinyl acetate). Residual vinyl acetate units on the polymer help improve resin solubiHty and processibiHty (15). On the other hand, the poly(vinyl alcohol) preferred for commercial PVB resins has less than 3 wt % residual poly(vinyl acetate) units on the polymer chain. 

The nmr spectmm of PVAc iu carbon tetrachloride solution at 110°C shows absorptions at 4.86 5 (pentad) of the methine proton 1.78 5 (triad) of the methylene group and 1.98 5, 1.96 5, and 1.94 5, which are the resonances of the acetate methyls iu isotactic, heterotactic, and syndiotactic triads, respectively. Poly(vinyl acetate) produced by normal free-radical polymerization is completely atactic and noncrystalline. The nmr spectra of ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers have also been obtained (33). The ir spectra of the copolymers of vinyl acetate differ from that of the homopolymer depending on the identity of the comonomers and their proportion. 

Poly(vinyl acetate) homopolymers adhere well to porous or ceUulosic surfaces, eg, wood, paper, cloth, leather (qv), and ceramics (qv). Homopolymer films tend to creep less than copolymer or terpolymer films. They are especially suitable in adhesives for high speed packaging operations. 

Poly(vinyl acetate) emulsions are excellent bases for water-resistant paper adhesives destined for use in manufacturing bags, tubes, and cartons. Glue-lap adhesives, which require moderate-to-high resistance to water, exemplify this type. When routine water resistance is required, a homopolymer vinyl acetate emulsion containing a ceUulosic protective coUoid is effective for most purposes. Next effective are emulsions containing fuUy hydrolyzed poly(vinyl alcohol) as a protective coUoid, foUowed by those containing partiaUy hydrolyzed poly(vinyl acetate). 

Poly(vinyl chloride) is Hsted on the TSCA inventory and the Canadian Domestic Substances List (DSL) as ethene, chloro-, homopolymer [9002-86-2]. Because polymers do not appear on the European Community Commercial Chemical Substances listing or EINECS, poly(vinyl chloride) is listed through its monomer, vinyl chloride [75-01-4]. In the United States, poly(vinyl chloride) is an EPA hazardous air pollutant under the Clean Air Act Section 112 (40 CER 61) and is covered under the New Jersey Community Right-to-Know Survey N.J. Environmental Hazardous Substances (EHS) List as "chloroethylene, polymer" with a reporting threshold of 225 kg (500 lb). 

As shown in Table 3, the glass-transition temperatures of the amorphous straight-chain alkyl vinyl ether homopolymers decrease with increasing length of the side chain. Also, the melting points of the semicrystalline poly(alkyl vinyl ether)s increase with increasing side-chain branching. 

Siding. The resin most used for siding is poly(vinyl chloride) homopolymer, compounded with modifiers, stabilizers, and pigments. Modifiers are most often acryhc esters, followed by chlorinated polyethylene or ethylene—vinyl acetate, used at 6—8 phr (parts per hundred resin). The modifier increases the impact strength of the rigid PVC. 

The earliest study describing vulcanised polymers of esters of acryUc acid was carried out in Germany by Rohm (2) before World War I. The first commercial acryUc elastomers were produced in the United States in the 1940s (3—5). They were homopolymers and copolymers of ethyl acrylate and other alkyl acrylates, with a preference for poly(ethyl acrylate) [9003-32-17, due to its superior balance of properties. The main drawback of these products was the vulcanisation. The fully saturated chemical stmcture of the polymeric backbone in fact is inactive toward the classical accelerators and curing systems. As a consequence they requited the use of aggressive and not versatile compounds such as strong bases, eg, sodium metasiUcate pentahydrate. To overcome this limitation, monomers containing a reactive moiety were incorporated in the polymer backbone by copolymerisation with the usual alkyl acrylates. 

Epichlorohydrin Elastomers without AGE. ECH homopolymer, polyepichlorohydrin [24969-06-0] (1), and ECH—EO copolymer, poly(epichlorohydrin- (9-ethylene oxide) [24969-10-6] (2), are linear and amorphous. Because it is unsymmetrical, ECH monomer can polymerize in the head-to-head, tail-to-tail, or head-to-tail fashion. The commercial polymer is 97—99% head-to-tail, and has been shown to be stereorandom and atactic (15—17). Only low degrees of crystallinity are present in commercial ECH homopolymers the amorphous product is preferred. 

Crystallinity is low the pendent allyl group contributes to the amorphous state of these polymers. Propylene oxide homopolymer itself has not been developed commercially because it cannot be cross-baked by current methods (18). The copolymerization of PO with unsaturated epoxide monomers gives vulcanizable products (19,20). In ECH—PO—AGE, poly(ptopylene oxide- o-epichlorohydrin- o-abyl glycidyl ether) [25213-15-4] (5), and PO—AGE, poly(propylene oxide-i o-abyl glycidyl ether) [25104-27-2] (6), the molar composition of PO ranges from approximately 65 to 90%. 

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