Describe how chemists can use polymers as a feedstock for cracking, and their role in a minimising damage to the environment during the combustion of polymers such as PVC.

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Difficulties in disposing of polymers, and the movement towards recycling and combustion of polymers. Describe how chemists can use polymers as a feedstock for cracking, and their role in a minimising damage to the environment during the combustion of polymers such as PVC.

Plastics are polymers. A simple definition of a polymer is something made of many units. Each link of the chain is the –mer or basic unit that is usually made of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and or silicon. To make the chain, many links or –mers are polymerized together.

Many of the common class of polymers are composed of hydrocarbons. Examples of polymers made up of only hydrogen and carbon are polypropylene, polybutylene, polystyrene and polymethylpentene.

 Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) contains chlorine. Most polymers are transparent but not all. The polymer chains in objects that are translucent and opaque are in a crystalline arrangement.

The degree of translucenence or opaqueness of the polymer is directly affected by its crystalline,

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Scientist and engineers are always producing better materials by manipulating the molecular structure that affects the final polymer produced. Manufacturers and processors introduce various fillers, reinforcements, and additives into the base polymers, expanding product possibilities.

Polymers are divided into two distinct groups: thermoplastics and thermo sets. The majority of polymers are thermoplastic, meaning that once the polymer is formed it can be heated and reformed over and over again. This property allows for easy processing and facilitates recycling. The other group thermo sets, cannot be remolded. Every polymer has very distinct characteristics, but most follow the following general attributes. :

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