Polymers
Points to remember in Polymers
Biodegradable Polymers :
A large number of polymers are quite resistant to the environmental degradation processes and are thus responsible for the accumulation of polymeric solid waste materials. These solid wastes cause acute environmental problems and remain undegraded for quite a long time. In view of the general awareness and concern for the problems created by the polymeric solid wastes, certain new biodegradable synthetic polymers have been designed and developed. These polymers contain functional groups similar to the functional groups present in biopolymers.
Aliphatic polyesters are one of the important classes of biodegradable polymers. Some examples are given below:
(a) Poly $\beta$-hydroxybutyrate - co- $\beta$-hydroxy valerate (PHBV) :
It is obtained by the copolymerization of 3-hydroxybutanoic acid and 3-hydroxypentanoic acid.
PHBV is used in speciality packaging, orthopaedic devices and in controlled release of drugs. PHBV undergoes bacterial degradation in the environment.
(b) Nylon-2-nylon-6 :
It is an alternating polyamide copolymer of glycine $(H_2 N -CH_2 -COOH)$ and aminocaproic acid
$(H_2 N(CH_2)_5 COOH)$ and it is also biodegradable polymer.
$nH_2 N - CH_2 - COOH + nH_2 N-(CH_2)_5 - COOH \longrightarrow [-NH -CH_2 -CO - NH - (CH_2)_5 -CO-]_n$
Some Common Addition Polymer
PYQ-2023-Polymers-Q1,PYQ-2023-Polymers-Q2
