Polymer vs. Elastomer

Polymernoun

(organic chemistry) A long or larger molecule consisting of a chain or network of many repeating units, formed by chemically bonding together many identical or similar small molecules called monomers. A polymer is formed by polymerization, the joining of many monomer molecules.

Polymernoun

A material consisting of such polymer molecules.

Polymernoun

Any one of two or more substances related to each other by polymerism; specifically, a substance produced from another substance by chemical polymerization.

Polymernoun

a naturally occurring or synthetic compound consisting of large molecules made up of a linked series of repeated simple monomers

Polymer

A polymer (; Greek poly-, + -mer, ) is a substance or material consisting of very large molecules, or macromolecules, composed of many repeating subunits. Due to their broad spectrum of properties, both synthetic and natural polymers play essential and ubiquitous roles in everyday life.

Elastomernoun

any polymer having the elastic properties of rubber

Elastomernoun

any of various elastic materials that resemble rubber (resumes its original shape when a deforming force is removed)

Elastomer

An elastomer is a polymer with viscoelasticity (i.e., both viscosity and elasticity) and with weak intermolecular forces, generally low Young's modulus and high failure strain compared with other materials. The term, a portmanteau of elastic polymer, is often used interchangeably with rubber, although the latter is preferred when referring to vulcanisates.