Polyacrylates are found in many very useful products. What are at least three uses of polyacrylates. We have already discussed Kevlar and linked three dimers made with our model kits to get an idea of what the structure of Kevlar looks like. In discussions of the market success of PVC or PP, for instance, only the polymers are usually mentioned, and little credit is given to the different additives that contribute to the wide range of properties, and thus the uses, that characterize these polymers. The questions this week, therefore, are about these additives.
Plasticizers make up the largest class of polymer additives.
Stabilizers are another important group of additives used in polymers. Flame retardants are very important additives in polymers since much of what we wear is made of some kind of polymer, and furniture, flooring, wall covering, siding, and any number of items in and around our homes are also polymers. There are about 15 different kinds of addidtives including the three mentioned in the first three questions. Identify at least eight others and give an example where they would be used. The questions this week deal with the different aspects of spectroscopy, a very important part of analytical chemistry.