Class No. 2 Date: 19.07.

2020
Basic Information, Definition, processing and mechanism and
Molecular Weights
A. What is monomer?

Monomer is small chemical compound having more than one functional groups.

Example,

1. Malonic acid: HOOC H2COOH

2. Ethylene Glycol: HOCH2CH2OH

B. What is functional group?

i. Number of Reactive groups present in chemical compound are called functional group. Example,
OH, -COOH, CHO, -C=C-, -NH2-SH

ii. They are named accordingly to the numbers of functional groups present in the monomer.
Example,

Mono-function -CH2COOH

Bifunctional -HOCH2-CH2OH

Tri-function -CH3CH2-C(CH2OH)3

C. What is polymer?

Polymer is a macro molecular chain compound formed by different units of monomers.

D. What is polymerization?

Polymerization is a process where monomers are connected into macro molecular chain
compound having different molecular weights depending on degree of polymerization.

E. There are two types of polymerization:

i. Addition/chain Polymerization

ii. Elimination/Condensation/Stepwise Polymerization

F. There are three steps in polymerization process, these are:

i. Initiation

ii. Propagation

iii. Termination
 Class No. 2 Date: 19.07.2020
Basic Information, Definition, processing and mechanism and
Molecular Weights
G. There are three polymerization mechanisms:

i. Free Radical Mechanism

Cationic
ii. Ionic Mechanism
Anionic
iii. Coordination Mechanism

Graphical Presentation of Polymer Production Process:

Polymerization

Addition/Chain Polymerization Condensation/Elimination/Stepwise

Polymerization

Free Radical Polymerization Ionic Polymerization Mechanism Co-Ordination Polymerization

Mechanism Mechanism

Anionic Polymerization Cationic Polymerization

Mechanism Mechanism