What is a copolymer?

In chemistry, the polymer is a chain of molecules made by joining many small molecules together. Polymers come in different varieties, one species is a copolymer. The copolymer is carried out when two different types of molecules are joined in the same polymer chain. For example, an alternating copolymer consists of regularly alternating monomers A and B, so the copolymer chain goes: A-B-B-B-A-B. A random copolymer is one with random sequences A and B, such as B-A-A-B-A-B-A-B-B. Periodic copolymers are even more complicated because they consist of monomers A and B arranged in a repetitive sequence. For example, if the sequence A and B described in the second example of the above was to repeat without change, although the sequence itself seems to be random, it would be a periodic copolymer. These copolymers consist of "blocks" where all one type of monomer are grouped, with all other species grouped together. It is as if two were connected at the endsOrdinary polymers. In these compounds, both monomers behave in a way that scientists call the phase separation.

phase separation is the same thing that happens when oil and water - two incompatible substances - separate in the container. However, the compounds in block copolymers are atomically connected together, so that instead of visually separating as oil and water separates on a microscopic scale. This department in blocks consists of very small but very rigid structures. These substances are strong enough that some types of block copolymers are used in soles of shoes and car tires. It is also interesting to note that the Copolymers block can be created not only from two monomers, but in some cases up to five or more.

Another way to categorize copolymers is the shape of structures consisting of polymeric chains. Linear copolymers are just one single string while branched copolymers have hlAvoid string with other strings that branch at the side at the intervals. The common type of branched copolymer is the graft copolymer, where the main chain consists only of monomer A and branches consists only of monomer B.

In this case, both monomers can lend features to the finished copolymer Štěpa. One example would be a high impact polystyrene. It has the main chain of polystyrene that gives the material its strength. Grouped on the polystyrene spine are chains of folded polybutadiene, giving the material resistance that a common polystyrene lacks.