Explain Polymers and their applications.
Polymeric materials or plastics contain a large group of organo or organic metallic high molecules compound. The common properties of such materials are their capability to soften and even melt capability to pass in a liquid state, solubility in one or more organic solvents and insolubility in water. The mechanical properties of such materials extensively wide some can be spun into fibers as terrylene and nylon, other can be moulded and are hard and glass as in mechanical properties. The other group illustrates rubber like properties.
Plastic are synthetic resins acquired basically in two various ways, by linear polymerization and by polycondensation. The polymers acquired by linear polymerization are termed as thermoplastics because they can be repeatedly melted or dissolved in different solvents. The properties of the thermoplastics do not modify considerably when they are melted and then cooled and solidified. Illustration of thermoplastics is polystyrene.
Second types of polymers are thermosetting and these polymers are used as binding agents and varnish base. These thermosetting plastic melt on heating but are converted in a rigid solid mass when maintained at an elevated temperature. Illustrations of these polymers are phenol formaldehyde. Synthetic resins are broadly used in electrical industry as insulating and structural elements. Several of the significant synthetic resins commonly used in electrical engineering are polystyrenes, P.V.C. that is polyvinyl chloride.