[martainthebox]

I went to this lab the other day and I was making plastic.

I added sodium hydroxide pellets in water and I added this to methyl methacrylate. I mixed the two substances up in a separating funnel and then I removed the water. You repeat this about three times. Then you add some other chemical which unfortunately I can't remember the name and you repeat the same technique.

At the end you filter off the liquid with anhydrous calcium chloride to remove any water and you get destablised methyl methacrylate. They said it polymerised. Can anyone explain the chemistry behind this? What does destabilised mean?

Thanks

[marquis]

Polymers start out with a basic unit, usually called a monomer.  The reaction to form the polymer can be very exothermic and dangerous. Usually, a stabilizer is added to the base material to stop it from reacting and producing the polymer.  There are a number of stabilizers that can be used, but often they are related to hydroquinone (abbreviated HQ). 

If you run across unstabilized or old monomer, be very careful.