Polymers — Introduction to Polymers and PTFE Discovery + 5 more topics

Polymers are essentially macromolecules (big molecules) formed by linking together many smaller molecules. The word "polymer" comes from Greek: "poly" meaning many, and "meros" meaning parts.

• Monomer: The small, repeating molecular unit that makes up a polymer. Think of them as the individual building blocks. Examples include ethylene, propylene, or vinyl chloride.
• Polymerization: The chemical process where monomers react to form long polymer chains. This is like the process of linking all those paperclips together.

PTFE, commonly known by its DuPont brand name Teflon, is a fluoropolymer. Its unique properties stem from its chemical structure: a carbon backbone completely surrounded by fluorine atoms. This strong carbon-fluorine bond and the helical structure of its polymer chain are key to its performance.