Exercise1 Question 2
How are polymers classified on the basis of structure?
Polymers are classified on the basis of structure as follows:
1. Linear polymers: These polymers are formed of long straight chains. They can be depicted as:
For e.g., high density polythene (HDP), polyvinyl chloride, etc.
2. Branched chain polymers: These polymers are basically linear chain polymers with some branches. These polymers are represented as:
For e.g., low density polythene (LDP), amylopectin, etc.
3. Cross-linked or Network polymers: These polymers have many cross-linking bonds that give rise to a network-like structure. These polymers contain bi-functional and tri-functional monomers and strong covalent bonds between various linear polymer chains. Examples of such polymers include bakelite and melmac.
