Chain-growth polymerization

Polymerization mechanism

Chain-growth polymerization (AE) or chain-growth polymerisation (BE) is a polymerization technique where monomer molecules add onto the active site on a growing polymer chain one at a time. There are a limited number of these active sites at any moment during the polymerization which gives this method its key characteristics. Chain-growth polymerization involves 4 types of reactions : Initiation: An active species I* is formed by some decomposition of an initiator molecule I Propagation: The initiator fragment reacts with a monomer M to begin the conversion to the polymer; the center of activity is retained in the adduct.

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