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Introduction
A polymer is a macromolecule made up from sequences of smaller units—the
monomer— joined together by covalent bonds. A polymer formed from more than one
monomer is called a co-polymer. Many polymers occur in nature (e.g. cellulose, chitin
etc.), but over the last 70 years or so, the range of useful materials has been greatly
extended by the developments of synthetic polymeric materials or plastics. The term
“plastic” means that the material is capable of being shaped, but it is understood to mean
any man-made material made up of long chain molecules of organic origin.

Part One : Thermosets and Thermoplastics

The two main classes of polymers are “Thermoplastics” and “Thermosets.” The essential
structural difference between thermoplastics and thermosets is that the former exist as
single discrete (spaghetti-like) molecules whilst the latter form a cross-linked network
during synthesis to give a “spider’s-web” type of structure.

Plastics are just as varied in their properties as metals. For example, steel and brass are
very different and so are nylon and polystyrene. There is a range of polymeric materials
of considerably different properties depending on the manufacturing conditions, chemical
composition and thermal history, so knowledge of polymer properties is very important in
engineering.

In the first part of the laboratory exercise, you will use some simple tests to classify a
range of polymers as either thermoplastics or thermosets.

PROCEDURE

1. Materials needed:
- samples of polymers
- a knife

2. Safety Precautions:
Be careful with that knife !!
4. Experimental Procedure:

Take each polymer sample and carry out a few simple physical tests to try and identify it
as either a thermoplasatic or thermoset. Bear in mind that thermoplastics can be moulded
and welded (i.e. they soften and melt when heated) while thermosets form a rigid network
when synthesised.
Try the following, and use your observations to help you fill in the first two
columns of table below as you go.
• attempt to cut a thin slice off the edge of the sample (check with your
demonstrator for instructions on the correct way to do this)
• drop the sample onto a hard surface
• attempt to flex and/or stretch the sample
• warm the sample a little with water from the hot tap and try to flex or stretch the
sample again

Sample Thermoplastic Polymer name Polymer structure

number or Thermoset

When you have decided whether each sample is a thermoplastic or a thermoset, show the
table to your demonstrator. You will then be given a list of the polymer names for each
sample. Match the names of the polymers with their structures and fill out the rest of the
table
Part Two : Cross-linking of a Thermoplastic polymer
The strength, rigidity and elasticity of a thermoplastic polymer can be improved by cross-
linking the polymer chains with a chemical reaction. Cross-linking is an important way of
controlling the polymer properties, because many mechanical characteristics of
thermoplastics can be finely adjusted by the degree of cross-linking.

In the second part of the laboratory exercise, you will carry out a simple cross-linking
reaction on polyvinyl alcohol, to make “Slime.” A product of the Mattel Toy
Corporation, Slime® was originally marketed in the 1970s as a children’s toy and some
similar products are still available today.

Poly(vinyl alcohol) is an addition polymer with an average molecular weight of about

100,000 daltons. Borax reacts with water to form a B4O72+/HB4O7- buffer solution with a
pH of about 9. When Borax is added to a solution of PVA, the borate ions form
hydrogen bonds to the -OH groups on the PVA backbone that weakly cross-link this
polymer. Cross-links either weaker or stronger than this would produce materials with
very different properties.

One of the applications of polyvinyl alcohol has been in laundry bags designed for use in
areas such as hospitals where clothing and bedding may be contaminated with infectious
material. Such materials are placed in polyvinyl alcohol bags, and then sent to the laundry
where the bag and its contents are placed in a washing machine without anyone coming
in contact with the contaminated clothing and bedding. In the wash, the bag dissolves and
the materials are cleaned and disinfected.

PROCEDURE

1. Materials needed:
- 100 mL beaker
- graduated cylinder, 25 mL
- stirring rod
- water, room temperature or warmed to 60°C (hot tap water is adequate for this
procedure)
- Polyvinyl alcohol laundry bag, warm water soluble or cold water soluble, cut into
squares 20 cm x 20 cm
- Borax (sodium tetraborate decahydrate), Na2B4O7.10H20, 4% solution, by weight,
in water. (Note: the solubility of sodium tetraborate in water is 6.3 g per 100 mL
water.
- Food colour to colour the Slime (optional)
- Plastic bag to store the Slime (zip-lock type or bag with twist tie)

2. Safety Precautions:
Wear safety goggles or glasses at all times in the laboratory.
There are no hazards associated with the polyvinyl alcohol.
Sodium borate (borax) is toxic by ingestion. Take care that this material is not placed in
the mouth.
Take care to keep the chemicals and the Slime away from clothes or cloth covered
furniture as it may produce permanent stains.
The Slime will get dirty from handling and may become moldy after several days. When
this occurs, the Slime should be discarded (see below).

3. Disposal:
Dispose of any Slime in the rubbish bin. Do not put it down the drain as it will clog the
drain.

4. Experimental Procedure:

• If warm water soluble bags are used for this procedure, use hot tap water or heat
water to a temperature of 60°C. If cold water soluble bags are used, use tap water
at room temperature or slightly warmed.
• Measure 25 mL of water into a beaker or plastic sample vial. Take a piece of
polyvinyl alcohol bag approximately 25cm long and cut into small pieces to aid
rapid dissolution. Add the pieces of PVA bag to the warm water and stir well to
dissolve and disperse the polymer.
• If desired, one or two drops of food colouring can be added to the polyvinyl
alcohol solution. Stir the mixture.
• Measure 5 mL of 4% borax solution. Pour the borax solution into the cup of
polyvinyl alcohol and stir well.
• Remove the material from the cup and knead it in your hand. The material will
become firm and lose some of its stickiness.

Test the properties of the “Slime“:

a) Pull the Slime slowly. What happens?

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b) Pull the Slime hard. What happens and why ?

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c) Roll a piece of Slime into a ball and drop it. What happens and why?

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d) Place a small piece of Slime on the table top. Hit it (gently) with the palm of
your hand. What happens and why?

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Store the Slime in a plastic bag.

e) Draw a structural diagram to show how borate ions cross-link the chains of the
PVA polymer.

f) How might you reverse the cross-linking of PVA ?

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