Polymer Classification Based on Origin
Based on its origin, polymers can be distinguished from natural and synthetic polymers.
Natural Polymers
Natural polymers are polymers found in nature and come from living things. Examples of natural polymers can be seen in the table below
No. Polymer Monomer Polymerization Example
1. Starch / starch Glucose Condensation Grains, root roots
2. Glucose Cellulose Vegetable, Wood, Cotton Condensation
3. Protein amino acids Condensation for Milk, meat, eggs, wool, silk
4. Nucleotic Acid Condensation of DNA and RNA (cell) Molecules
5. Natural rubber Isoprene Rubber tree sap addition
The properties of natural polymers are less favorable. For example, natural rubber is sometimes easily damaged, not elastic, and choppy. This can occur because natural rubber is not resistant to petrol or kerosene oil and has long been open in the air.
Another example, silk and wool are bacterial protein compounds, so wool and silk are easily damaged. Generally natural polymers have hydrophilic (water-like) properties, are difficult to melt and are difficult to print, so it is very difficult to develop the function of natural polymers for broader purposes in people's daily lives.
Polymer Synthesis
Synthetic polymer or artificial polymer is a polymer that is not found in nature and must be made by humans. Until now, polymer chemists have been conducting natural molecular structure research to develop their synthesis polymers. From the results of these studies produced synthetic polymers that can be designed for its properties, such as high and low melting points, flexibility and hardness, as well as resistance to chemicals. The goal is to obtain a synthetic polymer which is used as expected.
Synthesis polymers that have been developed for commercial purposes, for example the formation of fibers for fabric threads and the production of elastic tires against highways. Today chemists have succeeded in developing hundreds of types of synthetic polymers for broader purposes. Examples of synthetic polymers can be seen in the table below:
No Polymer Monomers Available at
1. Polyethene Ethene Pouches, plastic cables
2. Polypropene Propena Ropes, sacks, plastic bottles
3. PVC Vinyl chloride Paralon pipe, floor coating
4. Polyvinyl alcohol Vinyl alcohol Tub of water
5. Teflon Tetrafluoroetene Non-stick skillet or pan
6. Dacron Methyl terephthalate and ethylene glycol Magnetic record pipe, fabric or textile (synthetic wool)
7. Adipic and hexamethylene diamin acid Nylon Textiles
8. Polybutadiene Butadiena Motorcycle tires
9. Polyester Esters and Ethylene Glycol Car Tires
10. Melamine Phenol formaldehyde Plate and melamine glass
11. Epoxy resin benzene methoxy and secondary alcohol paint coating (epoxy paint)
Polymer Classification Based on the Process Formation
The polymer formation reaction is called polymerization, so the polymerization reaction is the reaction of combining small molecules (monomers) to form large molecules (polymers). There are two types of polymerization, namely addition polymerization and condensation polymerization.
Addition polymer
As we have already seen, that addition reaction is a reaction of breaking double bonds into a single bond so that there are atoms that are added in the compound that is formed. Thus, addition polymerization is the reaction of the formation of polymers from double bonded monomers (unsaturated bonds). In this reaction the monomers open their double bonds and then bind with other monomers to produce a single bonded polymer (saturated bond).
That is, the addition polymer monomers that form additives are carbon-bound double bond compounds such as alkenes, sterines, and haloalkenes. This addition polymer is usually identical to plastic, because almost all plastics are made by addition polymerization. For example polyethene, polypropene, polyvinyl chloride, teflon and polyisoprene.