Module 10 - Synthetic Materials (Polymer)

Additional knowledge that you need to know

Polymer

Polymer is a tiny molecules strung in long chains. Why do we need to care? From my point of view everyone should have a little knowledge of polymer since our body id made of it.

There are two types of polymers one is the natural polymer and the other one is the synthetic polymer which means human made polymer.

Polymer in nature

(a)Latex
South American Indians slash trees in the rain forest to obtain a milky white fluid called latex. They discovered that it could form a solid that was elastic; you could stretch it and it would snap back to its original shape. If you rubbed it on a pencilled words, the writing would dissapear, so Europeans called it "rubber". They pressed it between layers of fabric to produce a rain slicker called a macintosh, they also moulded it into tires for carriages and automobiles. In the late 1880, the British smuggled rubber tree seeds from Brazil to England for export to colonies in Ceylon, Malaya and Singapore.

(b) Milk
Cow milk is loaded up with the polymer casein, a protein. Without this polymer, cheese would come unglued. Glue would come unglued too, since casein from milk provides its sticking power. Casein also winds up in buttons, as well as rhinestones and other artificial gemstones

To be continued in next posting.....