Polychloroprene at a glance

Uses:	wet suits, wire insulation, automobile belts and hoses, gaskets, coatings
Monomer:	chloroprene
Polymerization:	emulsion polymerization, free-radical polymerization
Morphology:	amorphous
Glass transition temperature:	-49^oC

Copyright ©2005 Polymer Science Learning Center Department of Polymer Science The University of Southern Mississippi
oils and natural waxes which are formulated to clean and polish at the same time. Also soft polishing clothes usually made of brushed cotton are used in this cleaning.

Cork grease comes in
a tube like Chapstick

A bottle of
key oil
The joints of all recorders, flutes, clarinets, etc, must be cleaned and greased often with cork grease to keep them soft so that a good tight seal between the pieces of the body is maintained. And instruments with keys - flutes, clarinets, saxaphones, etc - must have the keys oiled to keep the action smooth and to keep them from sticking. And the cellulose or leather pads must also be cleaned and changed from time to time.

A silk swab is pulled
through the instrument
to absorb moisture
Another concern is moisture, even in resin or plastic instruments. Most of the time the insides of an instrument will not be as warm as the human body playing it. So when someone blows warm, humid lung air through it, condensation results. Thus a wooden instrument must be oiled on the inside with bore oil, to protect the wood. And all woodwinds should be swabbed out after use. A common material for swabs is silk, a natural polymer, becasue it is thin enough to pull through the bore in the center of an instrument and it is extremely absorbant and lent free.

Wool is also an
absorbant materail
good for swabs
Many people think these silk swabs are for spit - which is more of a problem in brass instruments. In woodwinds the moisture is more like "lung juice." When the inside surface of an instrument is cooler than the warm moist breath moving through it, the moisture in the breath condenses into liquid which builds up inside the instrument. One method of reducing moisture during playing is to warm the instrument before playing it. If it is warmed with the hands for a few minutes prior to playing the amount of condensation inside can be reduced.

So take care of your woodwinds, and they will take care of you. Also don't forget to enjoy playing! And remember that one of the things that allows you to have so much fun playing music is polymers!