APPLIED CHEMISTRY

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING

GRADE 9
First Quarter (Module 4)
TOPIC: Organic Chemistry
Proponent: JOSEPHINE R. NAGUIT, Teacher III, BSANHS

WHAT I NEED TO KNOW

This module provides you with activities that will help you learn about polymers, its
properties and uses.
Activities of this module will also teach you to identify real life situation that involve the use
of organic products.
At the end of this module, you are expected to:
1. Define the term polymer.
2. Describe the two principal ways of making polymers.
3. Explain why recycling plastics is important.
WHAT I KNOW
True or False. If the statement is true, write TRUE. If it is false, change the underlined word or
words to make the statement true.
______1. Most plastics are biodegradable.
______2. Polymers are formed by joining individual units called monomers.
______3. Non-biodegradable wastes are those who cannot be decomposed or dissolved by
natural agents.
______4. Polymers are materials made of long, repeating chains of molecules.
______5. Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into old materials and objects.
WHAT’S NEW
Do you know what fabrics you are wearing today? Whether they are natural fibers (like
cotton or silk )or synthetic fibers (like rayon or nylon), you are wearing polymers, an important
class of organic compounds.
Polymers are very large organic compounds made of repeating units. The term polymer
comes from two Greek roots, poly meaning many and mer meaning part. The repeating units in a
polymer are called monomers. You can compare a polymer to a long string of beads and a
monomer to an individual bead. Polymers are of two types naturally occurring and synthetic or
man made. Natural polymeric materials such as hemp, shellac, amber, wool, silk and natural
rubber have been used for centuries. Polymers make up many of the materials in living
organisms like proteins, cellulose and nucleic acids. Plants use glucose as a monomer to form the
polymers starch, an important food source and cellulose, an important structural compound in
plants and the principal component of paper. These glucose polymers are only one type of
natural polymer. Different amino acids link together to form proteins which are also polymers.
Depending on the sequence of amino acids, the protein might be the hair on your head, a muscle
in your arm, or an enzyme that helps you to digest food. The eight most common types of
synthetic organic polymers, which are commonly found in households are: Low-density
polyethylene (LDPE), High-density polyethylene (HDPE), Polypropylene (PP), Polyvinyl
chloride (PVC), Polystyrene (PS), Nylon, Nylon 6, Nylon 6,6 Teflon (Polyetrafluoroethylene)
and Thermplastic polyurethanes (TPU).
One of the first completely synthetic polymers was nylon, invented by American chemist
Wallace Carothers (1896-1937). Carothers synthesized nylon in the 1930s, and one of its earliest
uses was to make women’s hosiery, In World War II, nylon’s strength and lightness made it an
ideal material for parachutes.
-
PROPERTIES OF POLYMER
Physical Properties
 As chain length and cross-linking increases the tensile strength of the polymer increases
 Polymers do no melt, they change state from crystalline to semi-crystalline.
Chemical Properties
 Compared to conventional molecules, the polymer is enable with hydrogen bonding and
ionic bonding resulting in better cross-linking strength.
 Dipole-dipole bonding side chains enable the polymer for high flexibility
 Polymers with Van der Waals forces linking chains are known to be weak, but give the
polymer a low melting point
Some of the useful properties of various engineering polymers are high strength or modulus
to weight ratios (light weight but comparatively stiff and strong),toughness, resilience,
resistance to corrosion, lack of conductivity (heat and electrical) color, transparency,
processing and low cost.
CLASSIFICATION OF POLYMERS BASED ON THE SOURCE OF AVAILABILITY
1. Natural Polymers – they occur naturally and are found in plants
and animals. For example proteins, starch, cellulose and rubber. To
add up, we also have biodegradable polymers which are called
biopolymers.
2. Semi-synthetic Polymers- they are derived from naturally
occurring polymers and undergo further chemical modification.
Examples cellulose nitrate, cellulose acetate
3. Synthetic Polymers – these are man-made polymers. Plastic is the
most common anmd widely used synthetic polymer. It is used in
industries and various dairy products. For example, nylon-
6,6,polyether
CLASSIFICATION OF POLYMERS BASED ON THE STRUCTURE OF THE
MONOMER CHAIN
1. Linear Polymers- the structure of polymers
containing long and straight chains fall into
this category. PVC ex. poly-vinyl chloride is
largely used for making pipes and electric
cables
2. Branched-chain Polymers – when linear
chains of a polymer form branches, then
such polymers are categorized as branched
chain polymers. Example low-density
polythene.
3. Cross-linked Polymers- they are composed
of bifunctional and trifunctional monomers.
They have a strong covalent bond in
comparison to other linear polymers.
Examples are Bakelite and melamine.
TYPES OF POLYMERIZATION REACTIONS
1. Addition Polymerization also known as chain growth polymerization. In this small
monomer units joined to form a giant polymer. In each step length of chain increases. For
example polymerization of ethane in the presence of peroxides .Teflon, Polyvinyl
chloride (PVC)
2. Condensation Polymerization in this type small molecules like water, carbon monoxide,
ammonia are eliminated during polymerization(step growth polymerization).Generally,
 organic compounds containing bifunctional groups such as idols, -dials, diamines,
dicarboxylic acids undergo this type of polymerization reaction.– example Preparation of
Nylon 6,6, perylene polyesters
USES OF POLYMERS
 Polypropene finds usage in a broad range of industries such as textiles, packaging,
stationery, plastics, aircraft, construction, rope, toys etc.
 Polystyrene is one of the most common plastic actively used in the packaging
industry. Bottles, toys,containers, trays,disposable glasses and plates, tv cabinets and
lids are some of daily-used products made up of polystyrene. It is also used as an
insulator.
 The most important use of polyvinyl chloride is the manufacture of sewage pipes. It is
also used as an nsulator in the electric cables.
 Polyvinyl chloride is usd in clothing and furniture and has recently become poplar for
the construction of doors and windows as well. It is also used in vinyl flooring.
 Urea- formaldehyde resins are used for making adhesive, moulds,laminated
sheets,unbreakable containers, etc.
 Glyptal is used for makng paints, coatings and lacquers.
 Bakelite is used for making electrical switches, kitchen products, ttoys,
jeweler,firearms, insulators, computer discs, etc.
 Clothing made from synthetic fibers, polyethylene cups, fiberglass, nylon bearings,
plastic bags, polymer-based paints, epoxy glue, polyurethane foam cushion, silicon
heart valves and Teflon-coated cookware.
COMMERCIAL USES OF POLYMERS
Polymer Monomer Uses of Polymer
Rubber Isoprene ( 1,2-methyl 1-1,3- Making tyres, elastic
buadiene) materials
BUNA- S (a) 1,3-butadiene (b) Styrene Synthetic rubber
BUNA -N (a) 1,3-butadiene (b) Vinyl Synthetic rubber
Cyanide
Teflon Tetra Fluoro Ethane Non-stick cookware-
plastics
Terylene (a) Ethylene glycol (b) Fabric
Terephthalic acid
Glyptal (a) Ethylene glycol (b) Fabric
Phthalic acd
Bakelite (a) Phenol (b) Formaldehyde Plastic switches, mugs,
buckets
PVC Vinyl Cyanide Tubes, Pipes
Melamine Formaldehyde (a) Melamine (b) Ceramic plastic material
Resin Formaldehyde
Nylon-6 Caprolactum Fabric
WHAT IS IT
Match the Column A with B. Write the letter only on the space before the number.
A B
_______1. Buna- S a. Ziegler Natta catalyst
_______2. Nylon 6-6 b. Addition polymerization
_______3. High density polyethene c. Terephthalic acid ethylene glycol
_______4. Declon d. Biodegradable polymer
_______5. Polymer of glycine and aminocaproic acid e. Fibre
RECYCLING
The action or process of converting waste into reusable material. Aluminum cans, glass
bottles, newspapers and plastics are example materials that can be recycle. Recycling these
products is important because we otherwise could exhaust the raw materials from which these
products are made. Recycling includes the following 4 steps: 1. Collection 2. Processing 3.
Manufacturing 4. Purchasing Recycled-Content Products . For the same reasons, the carbon
compounds of living organisms also need to be recycled. A general rule to remember is that no
naturally made compound is ever a recycling “dead end”. If living organisms produce a certain
complex compound, then a process exists to return the elements of that compound to simpler
forms.
Many synthetic carbon compounds including some polymers, fit well into nature’s carbon cycle.
These compounds are said to be biodegradable from bio-meaning life and degradable meaning
able to be broken down. Biodegradable compounds are ones that will naturally decompose over
time. But other synthetic polymers including plastics are non-biodegradable. Nature provides
only very slow ways of decomposing non-biodegradable compounds.. The best way to limit the
world’s supply of non-biodegradable plastics is to use them wisely and to recycle them whenever
possible.
WHAT I HAVE LEARNED:
 Polymers are large organic molecules made by joining small u8nits or monomers.
 Biodegradable compounds recycle naturally.
 Most plastics are non-biodegradable.
ASSESSMENT:
Multiple Choice: Select the best answer by writing the letter only.
____1. Which of the following is a natural polymer?
a. Cellulose b. Buna-S c. Rayon d. Nylon 6,6
____2. Which of the following is a synthetic polymer?
a. Starch b. Natural rubber c. Cellulose acetate d. Polyethylene
____3. Which of the following is a linear polymer?
a.Low density polythene b. high density polythene c. Melamine d. Amylopectin
____4. Which of the following is an addition polymer?
a. Nylon-6 b. Nylon 6,6 c. BUNA –S d. Dacron
____5. Which of the following is a condensation polymer?
a.BUNA- N b. Polystyrene c. Nylon-6 d. Natural rubber

REFERENCE:
H. Eugene LeMay ,Jr. et.al Chemistry Connections to our Changing Wiorld pages 827-831