polymer
Sign in to savethumb|upright=0.8|Appearance of real linear polymer chains as recorded using an atomic force microscope on a surface, under liquid medium. Chain [[contour length for this polymer is ~204 nm; thickness is ~0.4 nm.]]
AI overview
A polymer is a large molecule made up of many smaller units linked together in a chain, as shown in this microscope image where individual polymer chains appear as tiny threads only a fraction of a nanometer thick. Polymers matter because their chain-like structure gives them useful properties that make them valuable for countless applications in materials science and manufacturing.
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Article
41 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Common examples
- Natural
- Space polymer
- Synthetic
- Synthesis
- Biological synthesis
- Modification of natural polymers
- Structure
- Monomers and repeat units
- Microstructure
- Polymer architecture{{Anchor|Intermolecular forces}}
- Chain length
- Monomer arrangement in copolymers
- Tacticity
- Morphology
- Crystallinity
- Chain conformation
- Properties
- Mechanical properties
- Tensile strength
- Young's modulus of elasticity
- Transport properties
- Phase behavior
- Crystallization and melting
- Glass transition
- Mixing behavior
- Inclusion of plasticizers
- Chemical properties
- Optical properties
- Electrical properties
- Applications
- Standardized nomenclature
- Characterization
- Degradation
- Product failure
- History
- See also
- References
- Bibliography
- External links
thumb|upright=0.8|Appearance of real linear polymer chains as recorded using an atomic force microscope on a surface, under liquid medium. Chain [[contour length for this polymer is ~204 nm; thickness is ~0.4 nm.]]
A polymer () is a substance or material that consists of very large molecules, or macromolecules, that are constituted by many repeating subunits derived from one or more species of monomers. Due to their broad spectrum of properties, both synthetic and natural polymers play essential and ubiquitous roles in everyday life. Polymers range from familiar synthetic plastics such as polystyrene to natural biopolymers such as DNA and proteins that are fundamental to biological structure and function. Polymers, both natural and synthetic, are created via polymerization of many small molecules, known as monomers. Their consequently large molecular mass, relative to small molecule compounds, produces unique physical properties including toughness, high elasticity, viscoelasticity, and a tendency to form amorphous and semicrystalline structures rather than crystals.