Polychloroprene is an amorphous polymer used in o-rings due to its excellent chemical resistance and has recently been used as an iPod holder. It is known by the trade name neoprene. It has the same mer structure as polybutadiene except that one of the hydrogens next to the double bond is replaced by a chlorine atom. It has a molecular weight of 200,000 g/mol, density of 1.23 g/cc, Tg = -75°C, and Tm = 120°C.
a) Calculate how many chlorine atoms will be in an average neoprene chain?
b) Sketch the bonding between polychloroprene chains due to sulfur linkages as neoprene is vulcanized into an elastomer.
c) You decide to go swimming in Bear Lake in late November using a neoprene wet suit. Calculate the difference in viscosity (in Pa-s) between the inside and the outside of the wet suit if the water temperature is 5°C and your well-insulated wet suit keeps your body at 37°C.