How do we create polymers
Polymers can be created from monomers by
  • a reaction (polymerisation)
  • condensation (poly-condensation)
  • or addition (poly-addition).

Depending on the momomers that particpate in the process the chain may grow into a linear assembly or more complex topologies. For us the

  • topology and the
  • inner structure

will be the two important factors that determine the chemical and the physical properties of the polymer material.

 
During the condensation process two monomers join to split off another molecule (often water). If two monomers join with two reactive site (bifunctional monomers) one obtains linear chains. If one the monomers is trifunctional one obtains newtorks.

Examples of linear chain materials are nylon and terylen thermo-platic material). To start the condensation reaction one needs "starters". The degree of polymerisation, i.e., the number of monomers in the chain,  can be controlled through the participating reaction elements.
From a physists point of view, polymers are very much like simple show strings, at least  for non-branched polymers. From a theoretical point of view we indeed look at the polymers as random walks or self-avoiding random walks.
previous page next page