Polymers condensation polymerization

Most natural polymers are condensation polymers. Condensation polymerization is a commonly used polymerization technique for preparing various biomedical polymers. The majority of these are step-growth polymerizations, which involve the stepwise condensation of bifimctional monomers with the elimination of small molecules such as water and HCl. A generalized equation for the linear polycondensation reaction involving two bifunctional monomers A and B can be given as ... 

Condensation polymerization differs from addition polymerization in that the polymer is formed by reaction of monomers, each step in the process resulting in the elimination of some easily removed molecule (often water). E.g. the polyester polyethylene terephthalate (Terylene) is formed by the condensation polymerization (polycondensation) of ethylene glycol with terephthalic acid ... 

The kinetics of this type of polymerization are the same as for simple condensation for this reason, the use of the term polycondensation is perhaps more appropriate. Unless kinetic evidence suggests otherwise, polymerizations involving the formation of chain polymers from cyclic compounds, following ring scission, are classed as condensation polymerizations. Some important con-... 

Polyethylene (Section 6 21) A polymer of ethylene Polymer (Section 6 21) Large molecule formed by the repeti tive combination of many smaller molecules (monomers) Polymerase chain reaction (Section 28 16) A laboratory method for making multiple copies of DNA Polymerization (Section 6 21) Process by which a polymer is prepared The principal processes include free radical cationic coordination and condensation polymerization Polypeptide (Section 27 1) A polymer made up of many (more than eight to ten) amino acid residues Polypropylene (Section 6 21) A polymer of propene Polysaccharide (Sections 25 1 and 25 15) A carbohydrate that yields many monosacchande units on hydrolysis Potential energy (Section 2 18) The energy a system has ex elusive of Its kinetic energy... 

In the next group of chapters we shall discuss condensation or step-growth polymers and polymerizations in Chap. 5, addition or chain-growth polymers and polymerizations in Chap. 6, and copolymers and stereoregular polymers in Chap. 7. It should not be inferred from this that these are the only classes of polymers and polymerization reactions. Topics such as ring-opening polymeri-... 

Braided Synthetic Nonabsorbable Sutures. Braided synthetic nonabsorbable sutures are made by melt-spinning thermoplastic polymers into fine filaments (yams), and braiding them, with or without a core, to form multifilament sutures in a range of sizes. Nylon-6,6 [32131 -17-2] (7) is a polyamide produced by the condensation polymerization of adipic acid and 1,6-hexanediamine. 

Most of the compounds in this class have been prepared from preexisting crown ether units. By far, the most common approach is to use a benzo-substituted crown and an electrophilic condensation polymerization. A patent issued to Takekoshi, Scotia and Webb (General Electric) in 1974 which covered the formation of glyoxal and chloral type copolymers with dibenzo-18-crown-6. The latter were prepared by stirring the crown with an equivalent of chloral in chloroform solution. Boron trifluoride was catalyst in this reaction. The polymer which resulted was obtained in about 95% yield. The reaction is illustrated in Eq. (6.22). 

Polymerization (Section 6.21) Process by which a polymer is prepared. The principal processes include free-radical, cationic, coordination, and condensation polymerization. 

Condensation polymerization can occur hy reacting either two similar or two different monomers to form a long polymer. This reaction usually releases a small molecule like water, as in the case of the esterifrcation of a diol and a diacid. In condensation polymerization where ring opening occurs, no small molecule is released (see Condensation Polymerization later in this chapter). 

Though less prevalent than addition polymerization, condensation polymerization produces important polymers such as polyesters, polyamides (nylons), polycarbonates, polyurethanes, and phenol-formaldehyde resins (Chapter 12). 

Acid catalysts, such as metal oxides and sulfonic acids, generally catalyze condensation polymerizations. However, some condensation polymers form under alkaline conditions. For example, the reaction of formaldehyde with phenol under alkaline conditions produces methy-lolphenols, which further condense to a thermosetting polymer. 

The sulfonium precursor route may also be applied to alkoxy-substituted PPVs, but a dehydrohalogenation-condensation polymerization route, pioneered by Gilch, is favored 37]. The polymerization again proceeds via a quinomethide intermediate, but die syndicsis of the conjugated polymer requires only two steps and proceeds often in improved yields. The synthesis of the much-studied poly 2-methoxy-5-(2-ethylhexyloxy)-l,4-phenylene vinylene], MEH-PPV 15 is outlined in Scheme 1-5 33, 35]. The solubility of MEH-PPV is believed to be enhanced by the branched nature of its side-chain. 

Condensation polymerization of amines with carboxylic acids leads to the polyamides, substances more commonly known as nylons. A common polyamide is nylon-66, which is a polymer of 1,6-diaminohexane, H2N(GH2)6NH2, and adipic acid, HOOC(CH2)4COOH. The 66 in the name indicates the numbers of carbon atoms in the two monomers. 

Explain the process of condensation polymerization. How might the polymer obtained from benzene-1,2-dicarboxylic acid and ethylene glycol differ from Dacron ... 

The other entries in Table 13.2 show that heat removal is not a problem for most ring-opening and condensation polymerizations. Polycaprolactam (also called Nylon 6) is an addition polymer, but with rather similar bond energies for the monomer and the polymer. The reaction exotherm is small enough that large parts are made by essentially adiabatic reaction in a mold. An equilibrium between monomer and polymer does exist for polycaprolactam, but it occurs at commercially acceptable molecular weights. 

The generic condensation polymerization begins with monomers AMA and BMB and produces molecules of the forms A A, B B, and A B. Each step of the reaction generates a longer polymer by the step-growth mechanism of Equation (13.2) and produces 1 mol of condensation product AB. 

The most common form of step growth polymerization is condensation polymerization. Condensation polymers are generally formed from simple reactions involving two different monomers. The monomers are difunctional, having a chemically reactive group on each end of their molecules. Examples of condensation polymerization are the formation of nylon 66, a polyamide, and of poly(ethylene terephthalate), a polyester. Because condensation poly-... 

Polylactic acid (PLA) has been produced for many years as a high-value material for use in medical applications such as dissolvable stitches and controlled release devices, because of the high production costs. The very low toxicity and biodegradability within the body made PLA the polymer of choice for such applications. In theory PLA should be relatively simple to produce by simple condensation polymerization of lactic acid. Unfortunately, in practice, a competing depolymerization process takes place to produce the cyclic lactide (Scheme 6.10). As the degree of polymerization increases the rate slows down until the rates of depolymerization and polymerization are the same. This equilibrium is achieved before commercially useful molecular weights of PLA have been formed. 

Representative condensation polymers are listed in Table I. The list is by no means exhaustive, but it serves to indicate the variety of condensation reactions which may be employed in the synthesis of polymers. Cellulose and proteins, although their syntheses have not been accomplished by condensation polymerization in the laboratory, nevertheless are included within the definition of condensation polymers on the ground that they can be degraded, hydrolytically, to monomers differing from the structural units by the addition of the elements of a molecule of water. This is denoted by the direction of the arrows in the table, indicating depolymerization. 

Among the physical characteristics of these nonlinear condensation polymerizations, the occurrence of a sharp gel point is of foremost significance. At the gel point, which occurs at a well-defined stage in the course of the polymerization, the condensate transforms suddenly from a viscous liquid to an elastic gel. Prior to the gel point, all of the polymer is soluble in suitable solvents, and it is fusible also. Beyond the gel point, it is no longer fusible to a liquid nor is it entirely soluble in solvents. Linear polymers, on the other hand, remain soluble in suitable solvents and fusible to liquids as well (unless the melting point is above the temperature of thermal decomposition), regardless of the extent of condensation. 

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