Question

The monomer used to prepare Orlon is

• A. Vinyl chloride
• B. Tetrafluoroethylene
• C. Acrylonitrile
• D. Styrene

Hint:

Important commercial polymer names:

• Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) \(\rightarrow\) Orlon / Acrilan
• Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) \(\rightarrow\) Teflon
• Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) \(\rightarrow\) PVC plastic
• Polystyrene (PS) \(\rightarrow\) Styron

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the Question:
Orlon is a commercial name for polyacrylonitrile (PAN), which is an addition polymer.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Orlon is prepared by the addition polymerization of acrylonitrile in the presence of a peroxide catalyst.
The chemical formula of acrylonitrile is $CH_2 = CH - CN$ (vinyl cyanide).
The reaction is:
$n CH_2 = CHCN \xrightarrow{\text{Polymerization}} -[CH_2 - CH(CN)]-_n$
Step 3: Final Answer:
The monomer is acrylonitrile.