Synthetic polymer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Synthetic polymers are often referred to as "plastics", such as the well-known polyethylene and nylon. However, most of them can be classified in at least three main categories: thermoplastics, thermosets and elastomers.
Man-made polymers are used in a bewildering array of applications: food packaging, films, fibers, tubing, pipes, etc. The personal care industry also uses polymers to aid in texture of products, binding, and moisture retention (e.g. in hair gel and conditioners).
[edit] Examples
A non-exhaustive list of these ubiquitous materials includes:
- acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)
- polyamide (PA)
- polybutadiene
- poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT)
- polycarbonate (PC)
- poly(ether sulphone) (PES, PES/PEES)
- poly(ether ether ketone)s (PEEK, PES/PEEK)
- polyethylene (PE)
- poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)
- poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET)
- polyimide
- polypropylene (PP)
- polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)
- polystyrene (PS)
- styrene acrylonitrile (SAN)
- poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT)
- polyurethane (PU)
- polyvinylchloride (PVC)
- polyvinylidenedifluoride (PVDF)
- poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP)
[edit] Brand names
These polymers are often better known through their brand names, for instance:
- Kevlar, Twaron, e.g. para-aramid
- Technora, e.g. copolyamid
- Kynar, e.g. PVDF
- Mylar, e.g. polyethylene terephthalate film
- Nylon, e.g. polyamide 6,6
- Rilsan, e.g. polyamide 11 & 12
- Teflon, e.g. PTFE
- Ultem, e.g. polyimide
- Vectran, aromatic polyamide
- Viton, e.g. poly-tetrafluoroethylene
- Zylon, e.g. poly-p-phenylene-2,6-benzobisoxazole (PBO)
