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CHEM 121 Studioby Learn4Less · UBC CHEM 121

CHEM 121 glossary

Crystallinity

The fraction of a polymer in which the chains are lined up in ordered, closely packed regions rather than tangled at random. More crystalline polymers are denser, stiffer, higher-melting and more opaque, because packed chains attract each other more strongly.

Example

Linear HDPE packs into more crystalline regions than branched LDPE, so it is denser (about 0.95 vs 0.92 g/cm³) and stiff enough for milk jugs.