Terms and Definitions
1 Chemistry/Polymer Chemistry
Terms and definitions important in the context of this ebook or the dental literature are explained in accordance with the IUPAC definitions [80-83] or with the literature [29-32,85,86].
Additive: Any type of substance that is added in very small quantities to a monomer, oligomer or polymer to improve, alter, and stabilize or to change its properties in any requested direction.
Antioxidant: A substance that inhibits or reduces the oxidation of other molecules or macromolecules, respectively.Primary andsecondary antioxidants are differentiated.Primary antioxidants (mostly sterically hindered phenols or amine derivatives of higher molecular mass) are radical scavengers butsecondary are not.Secondary antioxidants (sterically hindered phenols of lower molecular mass, organic phosphites or organic sulfides) decompose hydroperoxides to form stable alcohols and, thereby, chain branching can be avoided. It is the common purpose of all antioxidants to hinder or to diminish polymer degradation due to oxidative processes and to preserve the polymer’s properties.
Catalyst: Atoms, molecules or ions which diminish the activation energy with the result that a specific chemical reaction can occur. The catalyst does not participate in the reaction but exists before and after the reaction in the same chemical condition.
Comonomer: A second monomer added to the main monomer.
Constitutional unit: A species of atoms or atomic groups in a macromolecule, polymer or oligomer.
Composite resin/composite plastic: A resin/plastic that contains organic and/or inorganic fillers in all kinds of shapes (fibers, splinters, platelets, crystals, spheres, ligaments, etc.).
Copolymer: A polymer derived from more than one species of monomer.
Copolymerization: Polymerization of more than one species of monomer in which a copolymer is formed.
Cross-linkers: Cross-linkers are multifunctional monomers which form covalent chemical bonds between two separately growing polymeric chains to form a firm polymeric network. For polymerization reaction at least bifunctional monomers are requested, for polyaddition and polycondensation the monomers must be trifunctional at least.
Degree of crystallinity: The percentage of crystalline amount in a thermoplastic polymer.
Degree of conversion: The percentage of monomers that polymerize and form the polymer.
Degree of cross-linking: Relates to the number of groups that interconnect two materials. It is generally expressed in mole percent (mol%).
Degree of polymerization: The number of monomeric units/repeat units in a macromolecule, an oligomer or chain. For homopolymers the number of monomeric units corresponds with the number of repeat units. For copolymers this is not always true and sometimes the degree of polymerization is defined as the number of repeat units. Considering polyamide 66 (PA 66), for instance, the repeat unit consists of two monomeric units (-NH-(CH2)6-NH-OC-(CH2)4-CO-) with the result that a chain of two thousand monomeric units have only one thousand repeat units.
Functional group: A group of atoms in a molecule which significantly determines the reactivity or properties of the molecule (e.g. double bonds, triple bonds, aromatic compounds and hydroxyl or carboxyl groups).
Homopolymer: A polymer derived from only one specific monomer.
Inhibitor = Stabilizer: A molecule which deactivates radicals to inhibit a premature or unintended free radical polymerization. Inhibitors/stabilizers act similar to primary antioxidants.
Initiator: One or more molecules or ions forming radicals under the influence of energy and, thereby, start the free radical polymerization. The initiator takes part in the reaction and is consumed. In case the energy involved is light the initiator is called photoinitiator or light-initiator, in case it is heat it is called thermal or heat initiator, and in case it is “chemical” energy it is called redox initiator.
Ligand: Atom, molecule, ion or radical chemically bonded to a central atom.
Macromolecule/polymer molecule: A molecule of high relative molecular mass, the structure of which derives essentially of the multiple repetitions of molecule units with relatively low molecular mass.
Macroradical: A macromolecule which is a radical.
Matrix resin: Unpolymerized monomer/oligomer blend or polymerized material that may contain different types of fillers (organic or inorganic), initiators, catalysts, stabilizers, pigments or various types of other additives.
Molecule: Two or more identical or different atoms chemically bonded to each other.
Monomer molecule, functionality: It is differentiated between mono-, bi-, tri-, tetra- or penta-functional monomer molecules. Monofunctional molecules have one reactive group, bifunctional have two, trifunctional have three and so on reactive groups to run a polyreaction. Monomers with more than one functional group are also called multifunctional or higher functional monomers; they function as cross-linkers.
Monomer molecule: A molecule which can polymerize and contributes a constitutional unit to the structure of a macromolecule. In other words: the smallest molecule which repeats oneself during a polymerization to form a polymer/macromolecule.
Monomer: A substance composed of molecules each of which can provide one or more constitutional units to a polymer.
Monomeric unit/monomer unit: The largest constitutional unit contributed by a single monomer molecule in a polymerization process to the structure of a macromolecule or oligomer molecule.
Oligomer molecule: A substance of intermediate relative molecular mass composed of a few or more constitutional units repetitively linked to each other. The properties of an oligomer vary with the additio