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Science Materials Science & Engineering

Polymers

Several dyed plastic polymer granulates in laboratory

Engineering materials commonly known as plastics, rubbers, and adhesives are all correctly referred to as polymers.

Over 15,000 different types of polymers are commercially available and are categorised into 20 different families.

Introduction

Engineering materials commonly known as plastics, rubbers, and adhesives are all correctly referred to as polymers.

Structure and form

Polymers are a range of materials that are composed of long chains of repeating molecules called monomers. The long molecular chains intertwine to form complex compositional arrangements.

Production

Polymers are produced from their constituent monomers through a process known as polymerisation.

Properties and deformation

When considering a polymer for use in any application it is essential to understand the behaviour of the polymer with respect to variations in temperature.

Design

There are a number of methods commonly employed in industry to alter the key properties of polymers.

Forming methods

There are a number of different methods that are commonly used for forming of polymers. These methods rely to a large extent on whether the polymer is a thermoplastic or thermoset.