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Polyolefin
 
 
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A polyolefin is a polymer
Polymer

A polymer is a large molecule composed of repeating structural units typically connected by covalent chemical bonds. While polymer in popular usage suggests plastic, the term actually refers to a large class of natural and synthetic materials with a variety of properties....
 produced from a simple olefin (also called an alkene
Alkene

In organic chemistry, an alkene, olefin, or olefine is an Saturation chemical compound containing at least one carbon-to-carbon double bond....
 with the general formula CnH2n) as a monomer
Monomer

A monomer is a small molecule that may become Chemistry chemical bonding to other monomers to form a polymer....
. For example, polyethylene
Polyethylene

Polyethylene or polythene is a thermoplastic commodity heavily used in consumer products . Over 60 million tons of the material are produced worldwide every year....
 is the polyolefin produced by polymerizing the olefin ethylene
Ethylene

Ethylene is the chemical compound with the formula C2H4. It is the simplest alkene. Because it contains a carbon-carbon double bond, ethylene is called an unsaturated hydrocarbon or an olefin....
. An equivalent term is polyalkene; this is a more modern term, although polyolefin is still used in the petrochemical
Petrochemical

Petrochemicals are chemical products made from raw materials of petroleum or other hydrocarbon origin. Although some of the chemical compounds that originate from petroleum may also be derived from coal and natural gas, petroleum is the major source....
 industry. Polypropylene
Polypropylene

Polypropylene or polypropene is a thermoplastic polymer, made by the chemical industry and used in a wide variety of applications, including packaging, textiles , stationery, plastic parts and reusable containers of various types, laboratory equipment, loudspeakers, automotive components, and polymer banknotes....
 is another common polyolefin which is made from the olefin propylene
Propylene

Propene, also known as propylene, is an saturation organic chemistry having the chemical formula Carbon3Hydrogen6. It has one covalent bond, and is the second simplest member of the alkene class of hydrocarbons, and it is also second in natural abundance....
.

Properties
A more specific type of olefin is a poly-alpha-olefin (or poly-a-olefin, sometimes abbreviated as PAO), a polymer made by polymerizing an alpha-olefin.






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Encyclopedia


A polyolefin is a polymer
Polymer

A polymer is a large molecule composed of repeating structural units typically connected by covalent chemical bonds. While polymer in popular usage suggests plastic, the term actually refers to a large class of natural and synthetic materials with a variety of properties....
 produced from a simple olefin (also called an alkene
Alkene

In organic chemistry, an alkene, olefin, or olefine is an Saturation chemical compound containing at least one carbon-to-carbon double bond....
 with the general formula CnH2n) as a monomer
Monomer

A monomer is a small molecule that may become Chemistry chemical bonding to other monomers to form a polymer....
. For example, polyethylene
Polyethylene

Polyethylene or polythene is a thermoplastic commodity heavily used in consumer products . Over 60 million tons of the material are produced worldwide every year....
 is the polyolefin produced by polymerizing the olefin ethylene
Ethylene

Ethylene is the chemical compound with the formula C2H4. It is the simplest alkene. Because it contains a carbon-carbon double bond, ethylene is called an unsaturated hydrocarbon or an olefin....
. An equivalent term is polyalkene; this is a more modern term, although polyolefin is still used in the petrochemical
Petrochemical

Petrochemicals are chemical products made from raw materials of petroleum or other hydrocarbon origin. Although some of the chemical compounds that originate from petroleum may also be derived from coal and natural gas, petroleum is the major source....
 industry. Polypropylene
Polypropylene

Polypropylene or polypropene is a thermoplastic polymer, made by the chemical industry and used in a wide variety of applications, including packaging, textiles , stationery, plastic parts and reusable containers of various types, laboratory equipment, loudspeakers, automotive components, and polymer banknotes....
 is another common polyolefin which is made from the olefin propylene
Propylene

Propene, also known as propylene, is an saturation organic chemistry having the chemical formula Carbon3Hydrogen6. It has one covalent bond, and is the second simplest member of the alkene class of hydrocarbons, and it is also second in natural abundance....
.

Properties


A more specific type of olefin is a poly-alpha-olefin (or poly-a-olefin, sometimes abbreviated as PAO), a polymer made by polymerizing an alpha-olefin. An alpha-olefin (or a-olefin) is an alkene where the carbon-carbon double bond starts at the a-carbon atom, i.e. the double bond is between the #1 and #2 carbons in the molecule
Molecule

In chemistry, a molecule is defined as a sufficiently stable, electric charge neutral group of at least two atoms in a definite arrangement held together by very strong chemical bonds....
. Common alpha-olefins used as co-monomers to give a polymer
Polymer

A polymer is a large molecule composed of repeating structural units typically connected by covalent chemical bonds. While polymer in popular usage suggests plastic, the term actually refers to a large class of natural and synthetic materials with a variety of properties....
 alkyl
Alkyl

An alkyl is a univalent Radical consisting of carbon and hydrogen atoms, arranged in a chain. The Alkyls form homologous series with the general formula CnH2n+1....
 branching groups
Functional group

In organic chemistry, functional groups are specific groups of atoms within molecules that are responsible for the characteristic chemical reactions of those molecules....
 are similar to 1-hexene
1-Hexene

1-hexene is a higher olefin, or alkene, with a formula C6H12. 1-hexene is an alpha-olefin, meaning that the double bond is located at the alpha position, endowing the compound with higher reactivity and thus useful chemical properties....
 or may be longer (see chemical structure
Chemical structure

A Chemical structure includes molecular geometry, electronic structure and crystal structure of a chemical compound. Molecular geometry refers to the spatial arrangement of atoms in a molecule and the chemical bonds that hold the atoms together....
 below).
1 Hexene
Many poly-alpha-olefins have flexible alkyl branching groups on every other carbon of their polymer backbone chain. These alkyl groups, which can shape themselves in numerous conformation
Conformation

Conformation generally means structure arrangement.In science, it may refer to:*Conformational isomerism, in chemistry, is the chemical structure of a molecule....
s, make it very difficult for the polymer molecule
Molecule

In chemistry, a molecule is defined as a sufficiently stable, electric charge neutral group of at least two atoms in a definite arrangement held together by very strong chemical bonds....
s to line themselves up side-by-side in an orderly way. Therefore, many poly-alpha-olefins do not crystallize or solidify easily and are able to remain oily, viscous liquids even at lower temperature
Temperature

In physics, temperature is a physical property of a Physical system that underlies the common notions of hot and cold; something that feels hotter generally has the greater temperature....
s. Low molecular weight poly-alpha-olefins are useful as synthetic lubricant
Lubricant

A lubricant is a substance introduced between two moving surfaces to reduce the friction between them, improving efficiency and reducing wear....
s such as synthetic motor oil
Synthetic oil

Synthetic oil is oil consisting of chemical compounds which were not originally present in crude oil , but were artificially made from other compounds....
s for vehicles used in a wide temperature range.

Even polyethylene
Polyethylene

Polyethylene or polythene is a thermoplastic commodity heavily used in consumer products . Over 60 million tons of the material are produced worldwide every year....
s copolymerized with a small amount of alpha-olefins (such as 1-hexene
1-Hexene

1-hexene is a higher olefin, or alkene, with a formula C6H12. 1-hexene is an alpha-olefin, meaning that the double bond is located at the alpha position, endowing the compound with higher reactivity and thus useful chemical properties....
, 1-octene
1-Octene

1-Octene is a higher olefin, or alkene, with a formula C8H16. 1-Octene is an alpha-olefin, meaning that the double bond is located at the alpha position, endowing this compound with higher reactivity and thus useful chemical properties....
, or longer) are more flexible than simple straight chain high density polyethylene, which has no branching. The methyl branch groups on a polypropylene
Polypropylene

Polypropylene or polypropene is a thermoplastic polymer, made by the chemical industry and used in a wide variety of applications, including packaging, textiles , stationery, plastic parts and reusable containers of various types, laboratory equipment, loudspeakers, automotive components, and polymer banknotes....
 polymer are not long enough to make typical commercial polypropylene more flexible than polyethylene.

Uses

Polyolefin is used for blown film.

External links



  • Category:Polyolefins
  • Category:Polymers