Abstract
Thermoplastic and thermosetting polymers are introduced and their differences explained. A description is given of the first commercially successful fully synthetic class of polymers, phenol/formaldehyde resins, which were discovered by Leo Baekeland. The term ‘functionality’ is introduced as meaning the number of reactive points in a monomeric material - a concept which dominates the technology of thermosetting polymers. The importance of controlling the heat of polymerization is emphasized. Next, the reaction between phenol and formaldehyde is described in some detail. Finally the position of elastomers in the family of polymers is briefly stated.
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Massy, J. (2017). Thermoplastic and Thermosetting Polymers. In: A Little Book about BIG Chemistry. SpringerBriefs in Materials. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-54831-9_5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-54831-9_5
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Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-54830-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-54831-9
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