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The chemical at the heart of the air bag reaction is called sodium azide, or NaN3. CRASHES trip sensors in cars that send an electric signal to an ignitor. The heat generated causes sodium azide to decompose into sodium metal and nitrogen gas,  2 NaN3 --> 2 Na + 3 N2   which inflates the car's air bags.A handful (130 grams) of sodium azide will produce 67 liters of nitrogen gas. Inside the airbag is a gas generator containing a mixture of NaN3, KNO3, and SiO2.First, the sodium reacts with potassium nitrate (KNO3) to produce potassium oxide (K2O), sodium oxide (Na2O), and additional N2 gas. The N2 generated in this second reaction also fills the airbag, and the metal oxides react with silicon dioxide (SiO2) in a final reaction to produce silicate glass, which is harmless and stable.

Classification Edit Polymers  can be classified in many ways. Polymers, strictly speaking, comprise most solid matter: minerals (i.e. most of the earth's crust) are largely polymers, metals are 3-d polymers, organisms, living and dead, are composed largely of polymers and water. Often polymers are classified according to their origin: biopolymers synthetic polymers inorganic polymers A strand of cellulose showing the  hydrogen bonds  (dashed) within and between the chains. Biopolymers  are the structural and functional materials that comprise most of the organic matter in organisms. One major class of biopolymers are  proteins , which arederived from  amino acids .  Polysaccharides , such as  cellulose ,  chitin , and  starch , are biopolymers derived from sugars. The poly nucleic acids   DNA  and  RNA  are derived from phosphorylated sugars with pendant nucleotides that carry genetic information. Synthetic polymers ...

Polymer chemistry Article   Talk Language Download PDF Watch Edit Polymer chemistry  is a sub-discipline of  chemistry  that focuses on the structures of chemicals,  chemical synthesis , and  chemical  and physical properties of  polymers  and  macromolecules . The principles and methods used within polymer chemistry are also applicable through a wide range of other chemistry sub-disciplines like  organic chemistry ,  analytical chemistry , and  physical chemistry . Many materials have polymeric structures, from fully inorganic  metals  and  ceramics  to  DNA  and other  biological molecules . However, polymer chemistry is typically related to  synthetic  and  organic compositions .  Synthetic  polymers are ubiquitous in commercial materials and products in everyday use, such as  plastics , and  rubbers , and are major components of  composite ...