Cambridge O Level Chemistry · Syllabus 5070 · Organic Chemistry
Polyamide
What is Polyamide?
A condensation polymer made from a dicarboxylic acid and a diamine, in which the monomer units are joined by amide linkages, -CO-NH-; nylon is a synthetic polyamide and proteins are natural ones.
This definition is part of the Organic Chemistry chapter in Cambridge O Level Chemistry.
Questions students ask about Polyamide
What is the difference between addition polymerisation and condensation polymerisation?
Addition polymerisation joins many unsaturated monomers by opening each C=C double bond, so the polymer is the only product and nothing is released. Condensation polymerisation joins monomers that each carry two functional groups, releasing a small molecule — usually water — at every linkage formed. A polyamide forms a -CO-NH- linkage from a dicarboxylic acid and a diamine; a polyester forms a -CO-O- linkage from a dicarboxylic acid and a diol.