Drainage pipes can be manufactured from clay or poly(chloroethene) (PVC).
Below is the structure of the repeating unit of poly(chloroethene):
[ClH∣∣—C—C—∣∣HH]n\left[ \begin{array}{ccccc} & \text{Cl} & & \text{H} & \\ & | & & | & \\ \text{---} & \text{C} & \text{---} & \text{C} & \text{---} \\ & | & & | & \\ & \text{H} & & \text{H} & \end{array} \right]_n—Cl∣C∣H—H∣C∣H—nWhich monomer is used to produce poly(chloroethene)?
Option A
HH∣∣C=C∣∣HH\begin{array}{ccc} \text{H} & & \text{H} \\ | & & | \\ \text{C} & = & \text{C} \\ | & & | \\ \text{H} & & \text{H} \end{array}H∣C∣H=H∣C∣HOption B
ClH∣∣C=C∣∣HH\begin{array}{ccc} \text{Cl} & & \text{H} \\ | & & | \\ \text{C} & = & \text{C} \\ | & & | \\ \text{H} & & \text{H} \end{array}Cl∣C∣H=H∣C∣HOption C
ClCl∣∣C=C∣∣HH\begin{array}{ccc} \text{Cl} & & \text{Cl} \\ | & & | \\ \text{C} & = & \text{C} \\ | & & | \\ \text{H} & & \text{H} \end{array}Cl∣C∣H=Cl∣C∣HOption D
ClH∣∣C=C∣∣ClH\begin{array}{ccc} \text{Cl} & & \text{H} \\ | & & | \\ \text{C} & = & \text{C} \\ | & & | \\ \text{Cl} & & \text{H} \end{array}Cl∣C∣Cl=H∣C∣HWhich process is used to make poly(chloroethene) from its monomers?
Complete the sentences using terms from this list: [allotropes, composites, four, many, monomers, polymers, two]
Table 1 gives some information about drainage pipes made of clay and poly(chloroethene).
| Feature | Clay drainage pipes | Poly(chloroethene) drainage pipes |
|---|---|---|
| Source of raw materials | Clay (from quarrying) | Crude oil and salt |
| Energy to make 1 m of pipe (MJ) | 280 | 85 |
| Biodegradable | No | No |
| Recyclable | No | Yes |
Compare the advantages and disadvantages of using clay and poly(chloroethene) to make drainage pipes. Use Table 1 and your knowledge of life cycle assessments (LCAs).
5 exam-style questions on AQA GCSE Chemistry 7.3 Synthetic and naturally occurring polymers, covering 7.3.1 Addition polymerisation, 7.3.2 Condensation polymerisation (HT only), 7.3.3 Amino acids (HT only), and 7.3.4 DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and other naturally occurring polymers. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.