Condensation Polymers (AQA A Level Chemistry): Revision Note

Condensation Polymers

• Addition polymerisation has been covered in the reactions of alkenes

  • They are made using monomers that have C=C double bonds joined together to form polymers such as polyethene

• Condensation polymerisation is another type of reaction whereby a polymer is produced by repeated condensation reactions between monomers

• Natural condensation polymers are all formed by the elimination of water

  • Although the process of condensation polymerisation involves the elimination of water or HCl

• Condensation polymers can be identified because the monomers are linked by ester or amide bonds

• Condensation polymers can be formed by:

  • dicarboxylic acids and diols

  • dicarboxylic acids and diamines

  • amino acids

Polyester

• A polyester is formed by the reaction between dicarboxylic acid monomers and diol monomers

• Polyester is produced by linking these monomers with ester bonds/links

Formation of polyesters

• A diol and a dicarboxylic acid are required to form a polyester

  • A diol contains 2 -OH groups

  • A dicarboxylic acid contains 2 -COOH groups

• When the polyester is formed, the OH group from the COOH on the acid and an H atom from the alcohol are expelled as a water molecule

• The resulting polymer is a polyester

  • In this example, the polyester is poly(ethylene terephthalate) or PET, which is sometimes known by its brand names of Terylene or Dacron

Formation of polyesters - hydroxycarboxylic acids

• So far, the examples of making polyesters have focused on using 2 separate monomers for the polymerisation

• There is another route to making polyesters

• A single monomer containing both of the key functional groups can also be used

• These monomers are called hydroxycarboxylic acids

  • They contain an alcohol group (-OH) at one end of the molecule, while the other end is capped by a carboxylic acid group (-COOH)

Polyamides

• Polyamides are polymers where repeating units are bonded together by amide links

The formula of an amide group is -CONH

Polyamide monomers

• A diamine and a dicarboxylic acid are required to form a polyamide

  • A diamine contains 2 -NH₂ groups

  • A dicarboxylic acid contains 2 -COOH groups

• Diacyl (or dioyl) dichlorides can also be used to react with the diamine instead of the acid

  • An acid chloride or acyl chloride is a carboxylic acid where the -OH has been replaced by a chlorine  

    • A dioyl dichloride or diacyl dichloride contains 2 -COCl groups

    • This is a more reactive monomer but more expensive than a dicarboxylic acid

Formation of polyamides

Amino acids - formation of proteins

• Proteins are vital biological molecules with varying functions within the body

• They are essentially polymers made up of amino acid monomers

• Amino acids have an aminocarboxylic acid structure

• Their properties are governed by a branching side group - the R group

• Different amino acids are identified by their unique R group

• The names of each amino acid are given using 3 letters

• For example, Glutamine is known as ‘Gln’

• Dipeptides can be produced by polymerising 2 amino acids together

  • The amine group (-NH₂) and acid group (-COOH) of each amino acid are used to polymerise with another amino acid

• Polypeptides are made through polymerising more than 2 amino acids together

Related topics

• Addition Polymers

• Biodegradability & Disposal of Polymers

• Amino Acids

• Proteins

• Esters

Uses of Condensation Polymers

Uses of condensation polymers

• Polyesters such as Terylene, also known as polyethylene terephthalate (or PET) is a thermoplastic that can be repeatedly heated to soften and melt it and cooled to solidify it

  • Terylene can be extruded to form fine fibres for use in artificial fabrics or moulded into fizzy drinks bottles and containers

• The best-known example of an artificial polyamide is nylon

  • Nylon-6,6 contains a diamine and a dicarboxylic acid, each of which contains six carbon atoms

  • Nylon-6,6 proved to be a cheap substitute for silk, which is used to make ropes, twines, Velcro®, and is often added to natural fibres in clothing and carpets to make them last longer

• Aromatic polyamides are a group of polymers known as aramids and include Nomex® and Kevlar®

  • The general name derives from the fact that they involve benzene rings (from arenes) linked via amide bonds

  • They are very tough and lightweight and are used to make bulletproof vests (Kevlar®) and fireproof suits (Nomex®)

Nylon 6,6

• Nylon 6,6 is a synthetic polyamide

• Its monomers are 1,6-diaminohexane and 1,6-hexanedioic acid

  • The ‘6,6’ part of its name arises from the 6 carbon atoms in each of the Nylon 6,6 monomers

• The reaction between the amine group and the carboxylic acid is slow

• Consequently, the dicarboxylic acid is usually first converted to a diacyl dichloride, which reacts with the diamine much faster

Kevlar®

• Kevlar® is another example of a polymer formed through condensation polymerisation

• The polymer chains are neatly arranged with many hydrogen bonds between them

• This results in a strong and flexible polymer material with fire resistance properties

• These properties also lend Kevlar® to a vital application in bulletproof vests

• The monomers used to make Kevlar®

  • 1,4-benzenediamine

  • 1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid

• As seen with Nylon, a diacyl dichloride can be used instead of the acid

Intermolecular Forces

• Condensation polymers such as Nylon-6,6, Kevlar®, and Nomex® are long-chain molecules that can be drawn out to form fibres

• During this process, the linear molecules align and become increasingly linked by hydrogen bonds between adjacent chains

• The causes the strength of the fibre to increase during the drawing process

• Between Kevlar® and Nomex®, two aramid polymers, Kevlar® has a higher melting point as the chains are straighter and lie closer together, meaning more effective hydrogen bonds are formed