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10.3.2 Uses and properties of polymers

The properties of a polymer decide its uses

  1. A polymer is chosen for a job because of what it does, not what it is made from.
  2. Flexibility, strength, rigidity and resistance to chemicals all matter.
  3. Whether it is a good electrical insulator decides some uses on its own.
  4. Behaviour when heated matters wherever the object gets warm.
  5. Explaining a use means naming the property and the demand it meets.
Key Idea

The reasoning runs both ways: a property explains a use, and a use implies the property needed.

Poly(ethene) and poly(propene)

  1. Poly(ethene) is flexible, cheap and easily moulded.
  2. It is used for plastic bags, bottles and food wrapping.
  3. Poly(propene) is tougher and keeps its shape better.
  4. It is used for crates, ropes and containers that must take a knock.
  5. Both are unreactive, so neither contaminates the food it holds.
Example
  • Carrier bag: poly(ethene), because it is flexible and cheap.
  • Storage crate: poly(propene), because it is rigid and hard-wearing.

PVC and PTFE

  1. PVC is rigid and durable, and it resists weather well.
  2. It is used for drainpipes and window frames.
  3. PVC is also a good electrical insulator, so it covers electrical cable.
  4. PTFE is very unreactive and has a very slippery surface.
  5. It is used as a non-stick coating on pans and as a tape for sealing joints.
Note

PVC can be made flexible by adding other substances to it, which is why cable covering bends.

Matching a polymer to a new job

  1. Start from the demands the job makes on the material.
  2. A job needing flexibility and low cost points to poly(ethene).
  3. A job needing rigidity outdoors points to PVC.
  4. A job needing a surface nothing sticks to points to PTFE.
  5. A sound answer names the polymer and the property that makes it suitable.
Self review
  • Give a use of poly(ethene) and the property that suits it.
  • Why is poly(propene) used for crates rather than poly(ethene)?
  • Give two uses of PVC and the property behind each.
  • What property makes PTFE suitable as a non-stick coating?
  • Which polymer would you choose for a window frame, and why?
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Flowchart matching poly(ethene), poly(propene), PVC and PTFE to their properties and uses

A polymer is chosen for a job because of what it does. Important properties include flexibility, strength, rigidity, resistance to chemicals, electrical insulation and behaviour when heated.

To explain a use, name both the polymer and the property that meets the demand. For example, a carrier bag uses poly(ethene) because it is flexible and cheap.

The reasoning also works in reverse: a job needing a particular property suggests which polymer should be selected.

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A polymer is chosen for what it [     ], not what it is made from.

10.3.2 Uses and properties of polymers Revision Guide

  1. GCSE
  2. /Chemistry
  3. /10.3.2 Uses and properties of polymers

Revision notes for Edexcel GCSE Chemistry 10.3.2 Uses and properties of polymers: explanations and worked examples.

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