Question

Zinc acetate – antimony trioxide catalyst is used in the preparation of which polymer?

• A. High density polythene
• B. Teflon
• C. Terylene
• D. PVC

Hint:

- Terylene is a type of polyester and is one of the most widely used synthetic polymers. The reaction requires both a catalyst for the esterification reaction and specific conditions to polymerize the monomers.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

The question asks about the polymer that is synthesized using zinc acetate and antimony trioxide as a catalyst. These two compounds are commonly used in the polymerization process of Terylene, also known as Polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Here’s how the polymerization process works:
Terylene (PET) is a synthetic polyester formed by the condensation polymerization of terephthalic acid (PTA) and ethylene glycol (EG). The reaction is initiated and catalyzed by the use of zinc acetate (\(\mathrm{Zn(OAc)_2}\)) and antimony trioxide (\(\mathrm{Sb_2O_3}\)) as catalysts.
The role of the catalyst is to help the polymerization process by reducing the activation energy required for the reaction, allowing the esterification between ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid to proceed efficiently.
Terylene is used in making synthetic fibers (such as polyester clothing) and plastic bottles (PET bottles). Therefore, the correct answer is Terylene (Option 3).