How are polymers made?
Frank N. Kelley, dean of the College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering at the University of Akron, provides the following explanation. Synthetic polymers are produced by chemical reactions, termed “polymerizations.” Polymerizations occur in varied forms–far too many to examine here–but such reactions consist of the repetitive chemical bonding of individual molecules, or monomers. Assorted combinations of heat, pressure and catalysis alter the chemical bonds that hold monomers together, causing them to bond with one another. Most often, they do so in a linear fashion, creating chains of monomers called polymers. Some polymerizations join entire monomers together, whereas others join only portions of monomers and create “leftover” materials, or by-products. Co-polymers can be formed using two or more different monomers. And two or more polymers can be combined to produce an alloy, or blend, that displays characteristics of each component. For an example, let’s consider the com
