Which two types of monomer form a polyester?

A dicarboxylic acid and a diol.

Which two types of monomer form a polyamide?

A dicarboxylic acid and a diamine (or an amino acid on its own).

What is the ester link?

–COO–, formed from a –COOH group and an –OH group.

What is the amide link?

–CONH–, formed from a –COOH group and an –NH₂ group.

Name the monomers of Terylene.

Benzene-1,4-dicarboxylic acid and ethane-1,2-diol.

Name the monomers of nylon-6,6.

Hexanedioic acid and 1,6-diaminohexane.

Name the monomers of Kevlar.

Benzene-1,4-dicarboxylic acid and benzene-1,4-diamine.

Give two uses of Kevlar.

Body armour and protective helmets (also tyre reinforcement, ropes).

Give two uses of Terylene.

Clothing fibres and plastic drinks bottles (also sailcloth).

How do you find the monomers from a section of polyester or polyamide chain?

Break the C–O or C–N bond of each link, add –OH to the carbonyl carbon and –H to the O or N.

Which intermolecular forces act between polyamide chains?

Hydrogen bonds between N–H and C=O groups, plus London forces.

Which intermolecular forces act between polyester chains?

Permanent dipole–dipole forces and London forces; no hydrogen bonding because there is no N–H or O–H.

Why is Kevlar so strong?

Rigid, straight chains pack closely and form many hydrogen bonds between adjacent chains.

Condensation polymersAQA A-Level Chemistry: Flashcards

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Define condensation polymerisation.

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Define condensation polymerisation.: Joining of monomers by reaction between two functional groups, with a small molecule (usually water) lost at each link.
Which two types of monomer form a polyester?: A dicarboxylic acid and a diol.
Which two types of monomer form a polyamide?: A dicarboxylic acid and a diamine (or an amino acid on its own).
What is the ester link?: –COO–, formed from a –COOH group and an –OH group.
What is the amide link?: –CONH–, formed from a –COOH group and an –NH₂ group.
Name the monomers of Terylene.: Benzene-1,4-dicarboxylic acid and ethane-1,2-diol.
Name the monomers of nylon-6,6.: Hexanedioic acid and 1,6-diaminohexane.
Name the monomers of Kevlar.: Benzene-1,4-dicarboxylic acid and benzene-1,4-diamine.
Give two uses of Kevlar.: Body armour and protective helmets (also tyre reinforcement, ropes).
Give two uses of Terylene.: Clothing fibres and plastic drinks bottles (also sailcloth).
How do you find the monomers from a section of polyester or polyamide chain?: Break the C–O or C–N bond of each link, add –OH to the carbonyl carbon and –H to the O or N.
Which intermolecular forces act between polyamide chains?: Hydrogen bonds between N–H and C=O groups, plus London forces.
Which intermolecular forces act between polyester chains?: Permanent dipole–dipole forces and London forces; no hydrogen bonding because there is no N–H or O–H.
Why is Kevlar so strong?: Rigid, straight chains pack closely and form many hydrogen bonds between adjacent chains.

Exam questions on Condensation polymers

A textile company makes nylon-6,6 fibre by reacting hexanedioic acid, HOOC(CH₂)₄COOH, with 1,6-diaminohexane, H₂N(CH₂)₆NH₂.
Explain why the formation of nylon-6,6 is classed as condensation polymerisation.2 marks
Kevlar is used in body armour and protective helmets. It is made from benzene-1,4-dicarboxylic acid and benzene-1,4-diamine, and its repeating unit is –NH–C₆H₄–NH–CO–C₆H₄–CO–.
Explain why Kevlar chains are held together very strongly.2 marks
Terylene is a polyester used in clothing fibres and, as poly(ethylene terephthalate), in drinks bottles. It is made from benzene-1,4-dicarboxylic acid, HOOC–C₆H₄–COOH, and ethane-1,2-diol, HOCH₂CH₂OH.
Name the linkage in Terylene and explain why each monomer must have two functional groups.3 marks

See the full worksheet

Written by the Exaim team, led by Shaun Daswani (Head of Upper Secondary, Improve ME Institute; MSc Financial Mathematics, Imperial College London; BSc, UCL) and Jason Daswani (operational lead, Improve ME Institute; LSE).