Advanced recycling of these materials involves breaking them down into molecular building blocks for use as feedstock for the original material. For 10 points each:
[10e] Identify these ubiquitous, synthetic polymers, such as PET, which can be molded or extruded into various consumer products like disposable water bottles.
ANSWER: plastics [accept thermosets; accept thermoplastics]
[10m] Polymerizing PET from terephthalic (“tear-ef-thal-ic”) acid and ethylene glycol involves the formation of this functional group. A reaction named for Emil Fischer creates this functional group by reacting a carboxylic acid and an alcohol.
ANSWER: ester [accept Fischer esterification]
[10h] This compound, the first commercially available synthetic plastic, was synthesized in 1907 by condensing formaldehyde and phenol together.
ANSWER: Bakelite [or polyoxybenzylmethyleneglycolanhydride]
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