Polymers
Introduction:
The following demonstration will involve the synthesis of various
polymers. Slime, silly putty and polyfoam have been chosen
because of their simplicity and because they demonstrate a
wide variety of properties. Each of these are easy to prepare
and are non-toxic (although the polyfoam does have some toxic
residue and needs some time before it can be handled). Both
the slime and the silly putty are fun and inexpensive ways
of explaining polymer chemistry. The polyfoam demonstration
is a reaction between two premixed liquids which are available
commercially at hobby stores. It is a visual demonstration
and serves to show some very different properties of polymers
compared to slime and silly putty.
With these demonstrations it may be helpful to relate polymers
to everyday life, since polymers make up most of what is around
us. For groups with more chemistry background, it may also
be helpful to relate the properties of a polymer to the type
of polymer molecule and the degree of cross linking involved.
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