Chemistry - Condensation Polymers?

Question

Does any1 know what the intramolecular forces are between condensation polymers? (e.g hydrogen bonds/dipoles?)

And how does increases in temperature affect the polymer chains for condensation polymers

Answer 1

Intermolecular forces are covalent bonds. One condensation polymer is polyethylene terephthalate, used to make shirts and pop bottles. One condenses dimethyl terephthalate with ethylene glycol. The reaction splits out methanol and produces an "endless chain" of polymer:

CH3O2C-C6H4-CO2CH3 + HO-CH2CH2-OH ===> nCH3OH + [-O2C-C6H4-CO2-CH2CH2-]n

As long as the polymers are linear chains, they are thermoplastic. That is, if you heat them, they soften and melt. If you make a three-dimensional polymer network, as with heating phthalic anhydride and glycerol, which has three OH groups, then the resulting condensation polymer is thermosetting. That is, if you heat it, you just cause more COOH's to react with more OH's, and it just sets up harder.