Vinyl polymer
group of polymers derived from substituted vinyl monomers
In polymer chemistry, vinyl polymers are a group of polymers derived from substituted vinyl (H2C=CHR) monomers. Their backbone is an extended alkane chain [−CH2−CHR−]. In popular usage, "vinyl" refers only to polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
Examples
Vinyl polymers are the most common type of plastic. Important examples can be distinguished by the R group in the monomer H2C=CHR:
Polyethylene (PE) is made from ethylene, R = H
polypropylene (PP) is made from propylene, R = CH3
Polystyrene (PS) is made from styrene, R = C6H5
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is made from vinyl chloride, R = Cl
Polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) is made from vinyl acetate, R = O2CCH3
Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) is made from acrylonitrile, R = CN
Production
Vinyl polymers are produced using catalysts. Ziegler–Natta catalysts are used commercially for production of polyethylene and polypropylene. Many are produced using radical initiators which are produced from organic peroxides. Still others (polystyrene) are produced using anionic initiators such as butyl lithium.
An exception from the usual rules, polyvinyl alcohol, (CH2CHOH)n, is produced by hydrolysis of polyvinyl acetate. Vinyl alcohol is not sufficiently stable to undergo polymerization.
The public source identifies “Vinyl polymer” as group of polymers derived from substituted vinyl monomers. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Vinyl, polymer and group.
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This entry incorporates text from “Vinyl polymer” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.