Types of polymers

Polymers have different properties such as chemical properties, electrical, mechanical, magnetic, optical, thermal, solution, electronic and biological properties etc. so polymers are everywhere with different applications. Some of them are food packaging, containers, furniture, tires, gloves, structural materials, parts of household equipments, toys, drugs, artificial bones and valves etc.

Polymers which are having same repeating unit, also shows different properties because of their skeletal structures.

skeletal structures of polymers

There are many classifications of polymers according to many factors as follows,

·       According to the properties

·       According to structures

·       According to repeating units

·       According to the commercial applications

Polymer classification according to the commercial applications,

 Natural and synthetic polymers

Synthetic polymers are man made polymers like polyethylene, polystyrene, nylon, polyesters, polypropylene etc. examples for natural polymers are proteins, DNA (Deoxyribo nucleic acid), starch, cellulose etc.

Natural Rubber (NR) is known as polyisoprene and examples for synthetic rubbers are Styrene Butadiene Rubber (SBR), Butadiene Rubber (BR), Chloroprene Rubber (CR), (Acrylo) Nitrile Butadiene Rubber (NBR), Iso Butylene Isoprene (Butyl) Rubber (IIR) etc.

Other classifications will be given in detail in next posts.