Chapter 7: Synthetic Materials In Industry

1. Synthetic polymers are long-chained molecules that are man-made. They are produced
industrially from the repeated combination of many small molecules. Each small molecule is
called a monomer
2. Three types of synthetic polymers:
a) synthetic rubber
b) plastics
c) synthetic fibres

Monomers Used to Produce Synthetic Polymers & Uses of Synthetic Polymers

Synthetic polymer Monomer Use

Styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) Styrene and butadiene Tyres and shoe soles

Neoprene rubber Chloroprene Water pipes and hand gloves

Butyl rubber Isobutylene and isoprene Tyres, shoes soles and hoses

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) Chloroethene Water pipes, electrical insulators

and raincoats

Polythene Ethene Platic bags, plastic containers,

plastic cups and battery cases

Nylon Diamine and dicarboxylic acid Synthetic textile and strings

Polystyrene Styrene Packaging materials, toys,

disposable plates and cups

Perpex Methyl metacrylate Aeroplane windows and car

lamps

Polypropene Propene Plastic bottles

Epoxy Amide Glue and mould

Process of Making Synthetic Polymers

1. Polymerisation is a process in which many monomers combine to form bigger molecules called
polymers
2. Depolymerisation is a chemical process of breaking down polymers to their monomers
1. Synthetic rubber is man-made rubber which is produced through the polymerisation of
hydrocarbon monomers. The monomer is usually obtained from petroleum fractions.
Characteristics of Synthetic Rubber & Its Uses
Synthetic polymer Monomer Characteristic
Styrene-butadiene (SBR) Styrene and i. Easy to vulcanise
rubber butadiene ii. Able to withstand
corrosion
iii. Less rigid
Neoprene rubber Chloroprene i. Can be stretched
ii. Able to withstand
corrosion
iii. Elastic
iv. Able to withstand the
action of solvents
v. Heat resistant
Butyl rubber Isobutylene and i. Can be vulcanised with
isoprene sulphur under normal
conditions
ii. Less permeable than
natural rubber
iii. Heat-resistant
Thiokol rubber 1, 2 i. Able to withstand the
dichloroethene action of chemical
solvents and oil
Uses
i. Used for making shoe
soles
ii. Used for making tyres
i. Used for making water
pipes and gloves
ii. Used for making car
accessories
iii. Used to produce electric
wire insulators
iv. Used in roads and
buildings
v. Used to make rubber
tubes of Bunsen burners
i. Used for making inner
tubing of tyres
ii. Used for making roofing
materials
iii. Used to produce non-
permeable liners and
prevent water diffusion in
dams
iv. Used formaking
containers to store
corrosive chemicals
i. Used for making petrol
rubber tubes
ii. Used in tank liners for
storing oil and solvents
 Comparing & Contrasting Synthetic Rubber & Natural Rubber

Synthetic rubber Natural rubber

Similarities:
- both are polymers
- both are carbon compounds

Synthetic Type of polymers Natural

Decomposes and becomes a

Able to withstand high temperature High temperature
liquid

Less Elasticity More

Strong: Does not react with acids and Ability to withstand the Weak: Reacts with acids and
alkalis actions of alkalis and acids alkalis

Ability to absorb pressure,

Low High
vibration and sound

More Heat resistance Less

Can be vulcanised Vulcanisation Is easily vulcanised

i. The ability to withstand high i. It is able to absorb sound,

temperature vibration and pressure
ii. It does not react with chemical ii. It has high elasticity
substances such as acid, alkali and iii. It has low internal heat effect
solvents
iii. It is not permeable to water & gases Advantages
iv. It is not easily oxidised by oxygen
and ozone
v. It is hard and less elastic
vi. The ability to withstand much more
stretching

Plastics

1. Plastics are a type of synthetic polymer which consists of carbon and non-metallic elements
such as hydrogen oxygen, fluorine and chlorine

Various Types of Plastics & Their Uses

Name of plastics Use

PVC For making electrical insulators, music records, pipes and bottles

Nylon/Polyester For making synthetic textile, strings and parachutes

Polyethylene For making soft drink bottles and medicine containers

Polythene For making plastic bags, food containers and pails

Polystyrene For making packaging materials, heat insulators and toys

Perspex For making transparent roofing and aeroplane windows

Polypropene For making plastic bottles, aeroplane windows and glass lamps
 Various Types of Plastics & Their Uses

Melamine For making plates and cups

Epoxy For making glue and electrical insulators

Bakelite For making switches, plugs, buttons, computers, telephones and televion sets

Comparing and contrasting thermoplastics and thermosets

Thermoplastics Thermosets

Similarities:
- Both are synthetic polymers
- Both are good insulators of electricity
- - Difficult to oxidize
- - Heat insulator
- - Water and oil proof

Consist of linear polymer chains Made from polymer chains which

which are linked by using weak form cross-linkages between one
Definition
forces of attraction another whenever they are
heated for the first time

Soft when heated and hard when Softens only once when heated
Action of heat
cooled

Repeatedly Number of times it can be One time only

moulded

Polymer chains can slide with Polymer chains cannot slide

Ability to slide
ease

None Cross-linkages Present between polymer chains

Polythene, PVC, Nylon, Perspex, Bakelite, Melamine and Epoxy

Polypropene, Terylene, Examples
Polystyrene

Easy Burnt ability Difficult

Yes Recyclable No
Potential Uses of Plastics

1. Modern types of plastics (Composites) are a combination of various types of plastics

2. Examples of composites are kevlar, mylar, nomex, fibre glass and teflon

Uses of Modern Plastics

Fibre glass i. Made by mixing polyester plastics and glass chips

ii. Light and strong
iii. Mostly used to make fishing tackles, car bodies, boat hulls and containers

Clothing and gloves i. Mylar is used as the inner lining of astronauts clothes, sails of yachts and
ships.
ii. Kevlar is used to make bulletproof vests, helicopter blades and aeroplane
parts
iii. Nomex is used to make firefighting clothing and hand gloves for car racers
Non-sticky coating for i. Teflon is very unreactive
cookware ii. Uses of teflon:
a. Making non-sticky coating or frying pans & other cookware
b. To make pipes and containers to store reactive chemicals

Medicine i. Used to make prosthetic parts of the human body such as legs, joints,
veins and ligaments

Automative industry i. One third of car parts are made of plastics such as kevlar
ii. Kevlar strings can also be used to make tyres

Effects of improper disposal of plastics

1. Non-biodegradable plastics can clog up the waterways and cause flash flood.
2. Burning of plastics cause air pollution:
- It releases toxic gases such as dioxin and chlorine.
- It releases acidic gases such as carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide.
3. Thrown plastics in the sea can destroy marine lives.
4. Thrown plastics can destroy the surrounding beauty.
5. Develop breeding ground for vector.
6. Rivers become smelly.

Proper management of disposal of plastics

1. Non-biodegradable plastics are compressed and buried in landfills.

2. Recycle dispose plastics waste into useful items.
3. Burnt in incinerators.
4. Source reduction such as using less plastic to manufacture a product.
5. Use paper biodegradable bags or recycle bags instead of plastic bags.

Ways to Dispose of Synthetic Polymers

1. Practice recycling habits.

2. Used tyres can be tied together and put to the seabed to function as artificial reefs. These
artificial reefs can used as a breeding ground for fish.