Question

Which monomer is used in the preparation of Orlon?
A. $C{{F}_{2}}=C{{F}_{2}}$
B. $C{{H}_{2}}=CH-CN$
C. $C{{H}_{2}}=CH-Cl$
D. $C{{H}_{2}}=CH-OH$

Answer 1

Orlon is an acrylic fiber made up of long single strands or staples of fibers. It is resistant to sunlight and atmospheric gases, and hence it is very user-friendly material. This material is also very famous for its stability, resistance to shrinkage, and drapability. The filaments of these fibers have a very high tensile strength and make it as good as dry when it gets wets. The elasticity is very important and it absorbs very low moisture.

Complete Solution :
- This question is very memory-based as one can even know the answer or he doesn’t, there is no concept behind this question. But to understand better, we can look at how Orlon is prepared in industry. It is a polymer of vinyl cyanide and is prepared by the addition reaction of acrylonitrile. The central atom between the carbons is broken and a new bond is formed with the addition of new carbon. The same unit is repeated again and again to form a new polymer and the new carbon gets added.
- The same unit is repeated again and again to form a new polymer and the new carbon gets added by breaking the double bonds to form a new chain of monomer which gives the long polymers.
The equation can be represented with the following equation : $nC{{H}_{2}}=CH-CN\to {{\left[ -C{{H}_{2}}-CHCN- \right]}_{n}}$

There is another modified subclass of orlon known as modacrylic fibre. It consists of 35-85% of acrylonitrile monomer.
So, the correct answer is “Option B”.

Note: Orlon is very resistant to chemicals or acids that why it can withstand temperatures and very suitable for various industrial uses. It is mainly used in the formation of carpets, sports fabrics, rainwear, suiting fabric, overcoating and top coatings, sometimes fashion wear too, due to its high properties