28/4/2014

Hardie Polymers, Glasgow, Engineering Polymers

CLASSIFICATION OF USEFUL POLYMERS

cotton polypropylene wool silk jute acrylic rayon polyamide (nylon) polyester polyurethane "Lycra") polyaramid ("Kevlar") poly(vinyl alcohol)

polyethylene polypropylene poly(vinyl chloride) polystyrene ABS acrylic cellulose acetate polyamide polyester polyurethane polyacetal polycarbonate PTFE modified PPE polysulphone PEEK LCP

phenol-formaldehyde urea-formaldehyde melamine formaldehyde epoxide alkyd furan nitrile rubber polyester polyurethane silicone

natural rubber polyisoprene polybutadiene SBR butyl rubber ethylene-propylene polychloroprene (Neoprene) polyester polyurethane silicone fluororubbers

Notes:
1. No distinction needs to be made between natural polymers such as cotton, silk and jute and synthetic fibres such as polyester, nylon and acrylic. They are all fibres. 2. It is also obvious that some polymers crop up in more than one class. It is possible for one chemical type of polymer to act as a fibre, a thermoplastic, a thermoset and an elastomer, eg polyesters and polyurethanes. This suggests that the structure of the repeat unit (which determines the name of a polymer) is only one factor in determining the properties of a polymer.

http://www.hardie-polymers.co.uk/pages/hardie_library_2.php

1/1