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Polymer properties depend of their structure and they are divided into classes according to their physical bases. Many physical and chemical properties describe how a polymer behaves as a continuous macroscopic material. They are classified as bulk properties, or intensive properties according to thermodynamics.
The tacticity is usually indicated in percent, using the isotactic index (according to DIN 16774). The index is measured by determining the fraction of the polymer insoluble in boiling heptane. Commercially available polypropylenes usually have an isotactic index between 85 and 95%. The tacticity effects the polymer's physical properties.
Additives are chemicals blended into plastics to change their performance or appearance, making it possible to alter the properties of plastics to better suit their intended applications. [35] [36] Additives are therefore one of the reasons why plastic is used so widely. [37] Plastics are composed of chains of polymers.
A material property is an intensive property of a material, i.e., a physical property or chemical property that does not depend on the amount of the material. These quantitative properties may be used as a metric by which the benefits of one material versus another can be compared, thereby aiding in materials selection.
The polymers' structures result also in poor processing characteristics, in particular a high melting point and low solubility. The named properties are in particular based on a high percentage of aromatic carbons in the polymer backbone which produces a certain stiffness. [15] Approaches for an improvement of processability include the ...
HDPE is known for its high strength-to-density ratio. [4] The density of HDPE ranges from 930 to 970 kg/m 3. [5] Although the density of HDPE is only marginally higher than that of low-density polyethylene, HDPE has little branching, giving it stronger intermolecular forces and tensile strength (38 MPa versus 21 MPa) than LDPE. [6]
For crystalline or semicrystalline polymers, anisotropy plays a large role in the mechanical properties of the polymer. [7] The crystallinity of the polymer can be measured through differential scanning calorimetry. [8] For amorphous and semicrystalline polymers, as stress is applied, the polymer chains are able to disentangle and align.
The formation of each lamella contributes to the consumption of energy and thus to an increase in elongation at break. Polystyrene homo-polymers deform when a force is applied until they break. Styrene-butane co-polymers do not break at this point, but begin to flow, solidify to tensile strength and only break at much higher elongation. [63]: 426