Klarinet Archive - Posting 000127.txt from 1996/05

From: Grant Green <gdgreen@-----.COM>
Subj: Plastics!
Date: Tue, 7 May 1996 13:51:01 -0400

>Steve, as I am even farther from being a chemist than from being a
>musician, I have one other question about this. Fox says their bassoons
>and oboes are made of a plastic called polypropylene. Where does that fit
>in the list of plastics you gave above?
>Ed Lacy

Here's one I can answer.
Polypropylene is a hydrocarbon polymer (made up only of hydrogen and
carbon). You make it by polymerizing propylene, which is CH3-CH@-----. The
double bonds (=) link together to form a chain, with the methyl group (CH3)
sticking out to the side

-CH-CH2-CH-CH2-CH-CH2-CH...
| | | |
CH3 CH3 CH3 CH3

Polyethylene is made the same way, except that you use ethylene (CH2=CH2),
and there's no CH3 group hanging off the chain.

Grant Green

Grant D. Green
gdgreen@-----.com
http://www.crl.com/~gdgreen/index.html
Still hunting sarussophones!

   
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