Polymer chemistry

${\displaystyle M_{n}}$

${\displaystyle M_{w}}$

${\displaystyle M_{n}={\frac {\sum M_{i}N_{i}}{\sum N_{i}}},\quad M_{w}={\frac {\sum M_{i}^{2}N_{i}}{\sum M_{i}N_{i}}},\quad }$

The formation and properties of polymers have been rationalized by many theories including

The study of polymer thermodynamics helps improve the material properties of various polymer-based materials such as

As polymers get longer and their molecular weight increases, their viscosity tend to increase. Thus, the measured viscosity of polymers can provide valuable information about the average length of the polymer, the progress of reactions, and in what ways the polymer branches.^[11]

Classification

Polymers can be classified in many ways. Polymers, strictly speaking, comprise most solid matter: minerals (i.e. most of the Earth's crust) are largely polymers, metals are 3-d polymers, organisms, living and dead, are composed largely of polymers and water. Often polymers are classified according to their origin:

• biopolymers
• synthetic polymers
• inorganic polymers

Biopolymers are the structural and functional materials that comprise most of the organic matter in organisms. One major class of biopolymers are proteins, which are derived from amino acids. Polysaccharides, such as cellulose, chitin, and starch, are biopolymers derived from sugars. The polynucleic acids DNA and RNA are derived from phosphorylated sugars with pendant nucleotides that carry genetic information.

• Polymer
• Polymer science
• Polymer physics
• Chemistry
• Polymer topology

References