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What happens when you have polymers under high pressure? My very sketchy thoughts of polymers are that they can be thought of tangles of carbon chains surrounded by hydrogen, but that some polymers like polyethylene can be ordered or "crystalline". So it seems like there could be phase transitions, or if the pressure was high enough the polymer would have to change it structure or if in a tangled structure perhaps break links and form new links making a new polymer?

Edit: Very high pressures like those used in diamond anvil cell experiments.

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    $\begingroup$ You mean polyethylene specifically? Polypropylene (and some others) is similar, but most of them are not. $\endgroup$
    – Mithoron
    Commented May 1, 2022 at 15:47
  • $\begingroup$ @Mithoron More generally, polyethylene was just something I knew could have a crystal structure $\endgroup$
    – UVphoton
    Commented May 1, 2022 at 15:56
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    $\begingroup$ Well, lets better make it more specific... This could be pretty interesting entry here, if it won't get closed as too broad, unclear or whatever. Some quite unusual and less known things happen under high pressure. $\endgroup$
    – Mithoron
    Commented May 1, 2022 at 16:12
  • $\begingroup$ somewhat related chemistry.stackexchange.com/questions/131342/… chemistry.stackexchange.com/questions/31313/… $\endgroup$
    – Mithoron
    Commented May 1, 2022 at 16:30
  • $\begingroup$ @Mithoron Edited to be more specific to be about alkanes since they can be of different lengths and at room temperature go from being a gas to a liquid to a solid depending on the length. $\endgroup$
    – UVphoton
    Commented May 1, 2022 at 16:52

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