How to Calculate the Degree of Polymerization
- 1). Write down the chemical formula.of the polymer For example, if the polymer is tetrafluoroethylene then its formula is -(CF2-CF2)n -. The monomer unit is placed in parentheses.
- 2). Obtain atomic masses of the elements that compose the monomer unit molecule, using the periodic table of elements. For tetrafluoroethylene, the atomic masses of carbon (C) and fluorine (F) are 12 and 19, respectively.
- 3). Calculate the molecular weight of the monomer unit by multiplying the atomic mass of each element by the number of atoms in the monomer of each, then add the products. For tetrafluoroethylene, the molecular weight of the monomer unit is 12 x 2 + 19 x 4 = 100.
- 4). Divide the molecular weight of the polymer by the molecular weight of the monomer unit to calculate the degree of polymerization. If the molecular mass of tetrafluoroethylene is 120,000, its degree of polymerization is 120,000 / 100 = 1,200.
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