Resins are compounds and have smaller molecular weights than macromolecule polymers. Both can be natural or synthetic, with resins used in films, paints, and coatings. Polymers are made of thousands of monomers and can be linear, branched, or crosslinked, with different properties.
In terms of chemistry, resins and polymers are different because resins are compounds while polymers are macromolecules. The molecular weights of resins and polymers are also different; resins are smaller than polymers. In general, molecular weight is the weight of one molecule of a substance relative to the weight of one atom of the most abundant type of the element carbon. All resins and polymers are made up of chain-like molecules, although polymers have longer chains than resins. Both resins and polymers, however, can occur as natural or synthetic, although polymers are formed by a particular process called polymerization.
Resins can be molded into solid materials or spun into yarn due to their ability to form thin, continuous films. They can be thick, viscous fluids or hard, brittle solids. The water solubility of only a few resins makes them useful in areas where water resistance is important. Once known only as naturally occurring compounds, resins have diverse chemical compositions and various applications.
Natural resins are harvested from plant sources as exudates from living trees. Examples are myrrh and aloe, which are used in incense, medicines and perfumes. Synthetic resins are products of 20th century technology. For example, the modification of cellulose, a complex carbohydrate used in the manufacture of smokeless gunpowder during World War I, resulted in the production of a film-forming resin. This resin is extremely flammable, but has remarkable qualities including durability and quick drying in paints, inks and wood coatings.
During World War II, there was a high demand for synthetic rubber which led to the development of synthetic resins such as latex. In the following years, other synthetic resins were developed, including vinyl toluene, urethanes and polystyrene. These resins have special qualities such as plastics, films or coatings. Some resins that have also been used in the military, such as acrylic resins, have also become available for general use. They are stable and durable as alternative binders for paints and as substitutes in automotive coatings and food packaging.
Meanwhile, polymers are a combination of thousands of smaller molecules called monomers. For example, thousands of molecules of ethylene, a monomer, can be joined together to form a polymer called polyethylene. Polymers are commonly found in nature, although synthetic polymers have also been developed as the basis of all synthetic fibers and plastics and are structured as linear, branched or crosslinked.
Linear polymers, such as polyvinyl chloride and nylon, are composed of long single chains of monomers. Some linear polymers are elastic because they have twisted chains that can straighten and then snap back due to the removal of force. The shorter chains of branched polymers are attached along the main chains. Crosslinked polymers are harder and less flexible due to the links between their chains.
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