Sunday, April 15, 2012

What is Polymerization


Polymer and Polymerization



A polymer is a giant molecule of high molecular weight obtained by the repeated union of a large number of simple molecules (monomers). Polymers are also called macro molecules. The monomer molecules are linked together through covalent linkages. The properties of a polymer are entirely different from those of the monomer.
Monomers (Greek, monos = one, mers = units or part):  These are repeating simple molecules having two or more bonding  sites through which each can link to other monomers to form a polymer chain. Monomers are often called building blocks of a polymer chain. The total number of functional groups or bonding sites present in a monomer molecule is called the functionality of the monomer. For a substance to act as a monomer, it must have at least two reactive sites or bonding sites
Polymerization: A chemical process of obtaining a polymer from its monomers is called polymerization. 

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