polymer

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Images & Videos

Diagram illustrating a homopolymer arrangement using polyvinyl chloride as an example, showing a chain of identical repeating vinyl chloride units with the chemical structure highlighted.

$natural rubber$

Diagram of a DNA polynucleotide chain showing linked deoxyribose sugars, phosphate groups, and nitrogenous bases (adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine), with an inset comparing ribose and uracil in RNA.

How diamonds can be made from methane

A chemical diagram showing the formation of nylon from hexamethylenediamine and adipic acid, with molecular structures depicted and the resulting products labeled as nylon and water.

Diagram showing common functional groups in monomers-amine, carboxylic acid, alcohol, and isocyanate-at the top, and their resulting polymer linkages-amide, ester, and carbamate (urethane)-at the bottom, with color-coded chemical structures and connecting lines illustrating how monomers combine during polymerization.

Diagram comparing two mineral structures: the top shows a single chain of silicon-oxygen tetrahedra for pyroxene labeled (SiO3)n, while the bottom shows a double chain for amphibole labeled (Si4O11)n, with silicon atoms in purple and oxygen atoms in orange.

At a Glance

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polymer summary

polymer: Media

chemistry

Videos

How diamonds can be made from methane

How diamonds can be made from methane

Learn about manufacturing diamonds for use in research.

Video: © American Chemical Society (A Britannica Publishing Partner)

The science and sustainability of bioplastics

The science and sustainability of bioplastics

Understanding how plastic is made and how researchers are working to make it greener.

Video: © American Chemical Society (A Britannica Publishing Partner)

How do disposable diapers work?

How do disposable diapers work?

See how disposable diapers work.

Video: © American Chemical Society (A Britannica Publishing Partner)

Images

Diagram illustrating a homopolymer arrangement using polyvinyl chloride as an example, showing a chain of identical repeating vinyl chloride units with the chemical structure highlighted.

chemical structure of polyvinyl chloride (PVC)

Industrial polymers are synthesized from simple compounds joined together to form...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

$natural rubber$

natural rubber

Latex tapped from a rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) in Malaysia.

© Stuart Taylor/Fotolia

Diagram of a DNA polynucleotide chain showing linked deoxyribose sugars, phosphate groups, and nitrogenous bases (adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine), with an inset comparing ribose and uracil in RNA.

The polynucleotide chain of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)

A portion of the polynucleotide chain of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), with an inset...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

polystyrene

polystyrene

Polystyrene packaging.

Acdx

PVC piping

PVC piping

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes.

AdstockRF

A chemical diagram showing the formation of nylon from hexamethylenediamine and adipic acid, with molecular structures depicted and the resulting products labeled as nylon and water.

nylon

The formation of nylon, a polymer.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

caulk

caulk

Silicone caulk being dispensed from a caulking gun.

Achim Hering

Diagram showing common functional groups in monomers-amine, carboxylic acid, alcohol, and isocyanate-at the top, and their resulting polymer linkages-amide, ester, and carbamate (urethane)-at the bottom, with color-coded chemical structures and connecting lines illustrating how monomers combine during polymerization.

functional group: monomers and polymers

Functional groups in monomers and polymers.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Diagram comparing two mineral structures: the top shows a single chain of silicon-oxygen tetrahedra for pyroxene labeled (SiO3)n, while the bottom shows a double chain for amphibole labeled (Si4O11)n, with silicon atoms in purple and oxygen atoms in orange.

The single-chain silicon-oxygen tetrahedral structure (SiO3)n of pyroxene minerals...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

A step-by-step diagram shows the wet spinning process for polymeric fibers, beginning with a polymer solution pumped through a filter into a spin bath, forming fibers via a spinnerette. The fibers move through stages labeled coagulating, stretching, washing in a wash tank, applying fiber finish, and drying on heated drum rolls. The finished fibers are either wound into a take-up package or cut into pieces. Arrows and labels indicate solvent diffusion and each stage of the process.

Figure 1: Stages in the wet spinning of polymeric fibres.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

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