Pondering Polymers
Someone may be thinking, "Oh, no, this is some hardcore sciencey stuff". No need to run off. While polymers are extremely important and complicated, we are not going to be saddling up for a difficult ride. This will be rather basic, and some of the information may be a bit surprising to you like it was to me. Bi-component fibres are produced from two different polymers which, when extruded together, can produce new fibres with new features. Credit: CSIRO / Bea Lipson ( CC BY 3.0 ) (Usage does not imply endorsement of site contents) Polymers are building blocks. The word comes from poly for many, and mers for...something else. "Parts, Cowboy Bob." Yeah, that's it. Many parts. Polymers are built from molecules called monomers, and those monomers are made into polymer chains of sometimes thousands of repeating units. You've heard of proteins? They are polymers made from amino acids. We're loaded with polymers. There are many polymers in n