Innovative Production Machines and Systems Conference

Physical properties of polymers are governed by three main factors:
•     Number of monomer units in the chain, N
•     Monomer units are connected in the chain. => They do not have the freedom of independent motion (unlike systems of disconnected particles, e.g. low molecular gases and liquids). => Polymer systems are poor in entropy.
•     Flexibility: polymer chains are generally flexible.
Rectilinear conformation of a poly(ethylene) chain corresponding to the minimum of the energy