Polymer Science Worksheet

Polymer Science Chapter wise Questions

WOLLO UNIVERSITY, KIOT, TEXTILE ENGINEERING

December 16, 2022

Authored by: Fekadu Tadesse(Msc in Materials Engineering)
N.B: Some of the Questions might appear in your Exam
Chapter one: - Introduction of polymer

1. What are monomers and polymers? Give suitable examples.

2. Polypropylene (PP) is an example of a polymer. The structure of Polypropylene (PP)
molecule is shown below. This polymer is made from monomers. Draw the structures of
the monomer molecules showing all the covalent bonds.

3. Identify the special characteristics and applications of polymers?

4. What are the important Mechanical Properties of polymers?
5. Draw A typical molecular weight distribution curve of a polymer? Discuss the practical
significance of the molecular weight of a polymer? What is the difference between number
average and weight average molecular weight? How is the polydispersity index, PDI,
obtained from the curve?
6. How can Polymers be Biodegraded? Give an example.
7. Classify the polymers with respect to their Monomer Composition. Give examples of each
with structure?
8. Give an account of classification of polymers based on the source of availability or origin?
9. What are the advantages of thermoplastic polymer over thermosetting polymer? What
could be the drawback of thermosetting polymer?
10. Discuss the effect of cross-linking and branching of the chains on the properties of
polymers.

Chapter Two: - Polymerization

1. Write a note on polymerization?

2. What are the basic requirements of a monomer(s) to take part in condensation
polymerization/ Addition polymerization?
3. Explain the kinetic of free radical chain polymerization and Derive an expression for the
overall rate of free radical Chain-growth polymerization?
4. Explain the fundamental steps in free radical chain polymerization in detail.

Prepared by Fekadu T. (Msc in materials Engineering)

 5. List the differences between chain growth and step growth polymerization
6. Write a note on kinetic chain length in free radical polymerization.
7. What are LDPE and HDPE? How they are prepared?
8. Explain the applications of polymers obtained from ring-opening polymerization process?
9. Compare the merits and demerits of different polymerization Methods?

Chapter Three: - Techniques for Manufacturing of Important Polymers and polymer

processing

1. Write the polymerization reaction of the following polymers :-

a) Polyester (PET)
b) Nylon 6,6
c) Polycaprolactam (Nylon 6)
2. Why the numbers 6, 6 and 6 are put in the name of nylon-6, 6 and nylon-6?
3. Explain the difference and similarity of starch and cellulose?
4. Why mixing and heat transfer are the main difficulties in bulk polymerization?
5. Compare the merits and demerits of different polymerization techniques?
6. Explain the principle of the following addition polymerization techniques :-
a) Bulk polymerization
b) Solution polymerization
c) Suspension polymerization
d) Emulsion polymerization
Chapter Four: - Structure of Polymers
1. How can we determine the shape of polymer?
2. How to explain isomerism in polymer And State the difference between stereoisomerism
and geometrical isomerism?
3. With the help of neat diagrams of the spatial arrangement of polymer, explain the type of
stereoisomerism with reference to polymer structure.
4. Explain briefly the formation of stereoregular polypropylenes in the polymerization of
propylene. What is the role of tacticity on the properties of polypropylenes.
5. Why the transition in polymer is complex regarding to other small molecules?
6. Explain the physical states of amorphous polymers? What are the characteristics of these
polymers ?

Prepared by Fekadu T. (Msc in materials Engineering)

 7. What do you understand by term Polymer Crystallinity? How is degree of crystallinity of a
polymer determined? Show density method for measurement of crystallinity percentage?
8. Explain the idea of semi-crystalline polymer”? Show the effect of crystallinity on the
mechanical properties of a polymer ?
9. Distinguish between amorphous and crystalline polymers with examples?
10. When a polymer is heated does it shows any transition? Draw and label the transitions.
What will happen the polymer when glass transition temperature increase?
11. What is the effect of molecular weight on glass transition temperature?
12. What is glass transition temperature (Tg)? Discuss various factors influencing the glass
transition temperature of polymers and comment on Tg of Isotactic and atactic
Polypropylene (PP)?
13. Discuss various factors influencing the crystalline melting point of polymers?

Chapter Five: - Polymer Properties and Testing

1. Explain the reasons why longer polymers have higher strength?

2. Why do polymers have different physical properties?
3. How the structures of polymers affect their physical properties?
4. What is the role of branching and chain length on the properties of polymer?
5. Explain How to study visco-elasticity behavior of a polymer?
6. Explain the fundamentals of polymer melt rheology! What kind of rheology models
describe the relation between shear stress and the shear rate?

Polymer Science Worksheet II –practice the following Questions

1. Draw the structural formulae of the repeating units of the following polymers.
a) Cellulose
b) Poly(ethylene terephthalete)
c) Poly vinyl acetate
d) Poly(hexamethylene adipamide)
e) Poly(acrylonitrile)

Prepared by Fekadu T. (Msc in materials Engineering)

2. The following data were obtained in a determination of the average molecular weight of a
polymer.

Molecular Weight (g/mol) Weight (g)

60,000 1.0
40,000 2.0
20,000 5.0
10,000 2.5

a) Compute the number average and the weight average-molecular weights?

b) What is the polydispersity of the polymer?
c) How many molecules are in 1 gram of polymer?

3. Two hundred grams of polymer consist of the fractions shown in the following table:
Fraction Mass (g) Molecular Weight (g/mol)
I 100 2x103
II 50 2x104
III 50 105
What are the values of Mn, Mw, and the polydispersity of the sample.

4. A polymer sample combines five different molecular-weight fractions of equal weight. The
molecular weights of these fractions increase from 20,000 to 100,000 in increments of
20,000. Calculate Mn ,Mw and Mz.

5. A 21.3 g sample of poly(ethylene terephthalate) is found to contain 2.50x10–3 mol/L of

carboxyl groups by both titration with base and infrared spectroscopy. From these data
calculate:
a) The number-average molecular weight
b) The extent of reaction
c) In the case of a polymer made by condensation, is the repeating unit identical to the sum
of the monomers? ( give reasons for your answer)
6. The preparation of nylon 6,6 from hexamethylenediamine and adipic acid is stopped at 99%
conversion with PDI of 2. Calculate:
a) The number-average degree of polymerization.
b) The weight-average degree of polymerization.
c) The probability that the reaction mixture contains trimers.
d) The weight-fraction of the trimers.

Prepared by Fekadu T. (Msc in materials Engineering)

7. The data for the bulk polymerization of styrene at 60°C with benzoyl peroxide as initiator
are: [M] = 8.35 × 103 mol/m3, [I] = 4.0 mol/m3, Kp2/Kt = 1.2 × 10–6 m3/mol-s, the initial rate
of polymerization is 0.026 mol/m3-s and the spontaneous decomposition of benzoyl peroxide
is 2.8 × 10–6 s–1.
What is the efficiency of the initiator?

8. For pure styrene polymerized at 60°C, the value of the ratio kp2/kt is 0.0012 L/mol-s. The
corresponding value for pure vinyl acetate polymerized at 60°C is 0.125 L/mol-s.
a) Estimate their relative kinetic length chain lengths.
b) Calculate the kinetic chain length for polystyrene if the rate of polymerization is 10–4
mol/L-s and monomer concentration is 8.35mol/L.

9. Explain the basic difference between anionic and cationic chain polymerization in detail.

10. Is polyester copolymer or homopolymer? Support your answer with reasons.

11. Show the chemical reactions resulting polymers! How can we give a nomeculuture to the
resulting polymer! how can we express the molecular weight in case of radical (chain)
polymerization And Explain the copolymerization and show the types of copolymers!

12. What is the rate chain initiation reaction for initiator efficiency of 0.8,when concentration
and decompostion rate of benzoyl peroxide are 4 mol/m^3 and 3.24×10^-4 m^2/mol-s^-1

13. Given bulk polymerization of a step growth polymer poly(ethylene terephthalate) and chain
reaction polymer polyisobutylene is to be carried out.
i. What is the problem associated with bulk polymerization of these polymers
ii. Which Polymerization is more exothermic
iii. In which case viscosity increase very rapidly even at the early stage of the reaction
iv. In which case viscosity builds up gradually in the course of reaction
14. What are the four synthetic routes for synthesizing large number of polyamides
15. Describe what does it mean by nylon 6,9.
16. Explain melt polymerization
17. Explain the difference between acrylic fiber and modacrylic
18. What makes cellulose fiber to be a highly crystalline polymer
19. Explain polymerization process classification! Show the different polymerization techniques
shortly
20. Explain the idea of ``Tacticity”! Show the effect of tacticity on the physical properties! Show the
physical properties of atactic pp,isotactic pp and syndiotactic

Prepared by Fekadu T. (Msc in materials Engineering)

21. Show the physical states of polymers as a function of temperature. Explain the processes in the
different regions! Explain the reasons behind polymer transition complexity and difference from
simple molecules !
22. Show the major transition in polymer in case of amorphous and semi(partially ) crystalline
polymers
23. What will happen if a polymer is made of more crystalline structure is ,how can we determine
degree of crystallinity ,show density method for measurement of crystallinity percentage!
24. Arrange the following polymer( with the characteristics group) in order of ascending melting
temperature (Tm) and justify your answer. Assume the degree of polymerization, n, for the
polymers is the same.
a. Polycaprolactam
b. Nylon 12
c. Poly(hexamethylene adamite)
d. Polycaprolactone

25. What are the factor that determine the physical properties of a polymer ?
26. Explain the fundamentals of polymer melt rheology! What does it mean by polymer exhibit
viscoelastic behaviour ,how can we study the visco- elasticity behaviours !
27. What is relaxation modulus ,what kind of information obtained from stress relaxation data
Explain the idea of stress relaxation and show methods for its determination!

Prepared by Fekadu T. (Msc in materials Engineering)

Prepared by Fekadu T. (Msc in materials Engineering)
Prepared by Fekadu T. (Msc in materials Engineering)
Prepared by Fekadu T. (Msc in materials Engineering)