All Polymers articles
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ResourceCovalent bonding tiles | 14–16 years
Help learners to visualise the shape and structure of simple covalent molecules with these manipulative covalent bonding tiles.
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Ideas
Teach complex concepts easily with paper prompts
How folding paper is a successful learning tool for complex topics
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Job profile
Chief executive officer
Daniel is helping the world to reach net-zero carbon emissions by creating a way to turn manufacturers’ waste carbon dioxide into chemicals that can be used in everyday products.
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News
Sunlight produces thousands of compounds from plastic
Scientists dispel the theory that sunlight exposure simply fragments macroplastics that persist in the environment, but what are the implications for the environment?
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Ideas
Teach your students about sustainable production and consumption
Easy ways to bring UN sustainable development goal 12 into your teaching of life cycle assessments, polymers and batteries
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Soundbite
Polymer chemistry is printing noses
Learn more about a novel application of polymer chemistry to help reconstruct the faces of skin cancer patients
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News
A 3D-printed material replacing elephant ivory
Show your students a new context when studying composite materials and thermosetting polymers
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News
Ceramic nanoparticles help mould glass into any shape
Get students to compare the properties of glass and plastic polymers
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Interview
‘You don’t need to choose between the arts and science’
Meet Katherine Curran, a chemist applying her polymer know-how to the conservation of plastic museum objects
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Resource
Puzzling polymers | 14–16 years
A matching activity worksheet using clues to identify and name repeating polymers based on their chemical structure
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Resource
‘Life would be unrecognisable without plastic’ | 11–16 years
A worksheet including three classroom activities to evaluate the role plastic plays in everyday life
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Feature
Plastic conservation
Usually we want plastics to degrade, so what about when we don’t? How chemists are helping museums preserve plastics
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News
Slashing emissions with polymer fashion
Show students the high performance fabric that’s made from waste plastic and is cutting the carbon footprint of the fashion industry
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Ideas
Put organic chemistry concepts in context
3 ways to teach 14–16 students how to apply their knowledge to new scenarios and prepare them for exams
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Resource
Properties of polymers
A lesson presentation with activities for your 11–14 students on polymers and their properties
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CPD
How to teach materials at 11–14
Use real life examples to help students get to grips with the properties of ceramics, polymers and composites
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Feature
Packaging promise
From polymers to nanoparticles, the new technologies helping to reduce food and wrapper waste
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Resource
Liquefying paint – retrieval practice and quick-fire questions
Encourage your 16–18 students to make connections between topics with this scaffolded approach
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Feature
How chemists are stopping paint drip
Analytical chemistry is playing an important role in discovering why some 20th century paintings have started to liquefy
