Polymers (Resins)
Resins refer to polymers before they are mixed with other additives or components.
Polymer Fundamentals by Allison Calhoun
An Introduction to Polymers (Michigan State University)
Polymers are big molecules - poly for many and mer for the basic structural unit. If M is a mer such as water, H2O, or methane CH4 , then M would represent a monomer. Link the monomers together to get MMM or Mx where x is the number of monomers. 2 to 100 x would be an oligomer and 100 x and up to infinity or as large as one can imagine would be a polymer. For low molecular weight polymers, x would be 100 to 1000; medium molecular weights, 1000 to 10 000; high molecular weight, 10 000 to 100 000, ultrahigh molecular weight, millions and up; and finally for thermosets, x would be infinity or so large one can't measure them. One could argue that the molecular weight of a thermoset is avogadro's number times the weight of one thermoset piece. (That is one big molecule !!!) Crosslinking is a way of converting lower molecular weight polymers to higher molecular molecular weight polymers and finally to thermosets. In plastics and the other polymer related areas, the polymer is also referred to the resin. This comes from the early days of polymers when the resin came from the resinous exudate of plants and was then mixed with other materials to make a useful material. i.e. The resin is the pure polymer before additives and reinforcements are added. (RDC 7/26/2008)
In the language of the nonchemist. In the language of the non-chemist polymeric materials are sticky, gooey and sometime hard organic materials, in contrast to liquids like water or gases like oxygen. They are usually the organic materials used for building things. In practice polymers include plastics, rubber, composites, biomaterials, coatings, adhesives, wood, paper - i.e. any thing that can support a load. There properties cover the range of materials from the soft. (RDC 10/21/2010)
Acrylic (Acrylate) Polymers
Conductive Polymers
Copolymers
Fluorinated Polymers
Fundamentals
Furan Resins
Interpenetrating Networks (IPN)
Ionomers
Natural Polymers
Polycaprolactones
Polycarbonates
Polyelectrolytes
Polyesters
Polyethers
Polyethylene
Polydiamondoids
Polyimides
Polymer Chains
Polynorbornene
Polyoxymethylene
Polyrotaxanes
Polystyrene
Polysulfones
Polythiophenes
Polyureas
Polyurethanes
Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVAL)(PVOH)(PVA)
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
Polyvinylphosophonates
Shape Memory Polymers
Supramolecular Polymers
Telomers /Oligomers