This is a brief glossary of terms dealing with polymers. It is by no means complete, but it will help a little. You can go back to the previous page at any time by clicking "BACK" on your browser.
ADDITION POLYMERIZATION - a chain reaction in which monomers with carbon-carbon double bonds are converted to polymers
ANION - any negative ion (Examples: Cl-, S2-)
CATALYST - a substance which increase the rate of a reaction without being used up
CATION - any positive ion (Examples: Li+, Ca2+)
CHAIN-GROWTH POLYMERIZATION - another name for addition polymerization
CONDENSATION POLYMERIZATION - a reaction in which monomer molecules with at least two functional groups combine and eliminate water (or some other simple molecule) to form a polymer
COVALENT BOND - a shared pair of electrons between two atoms
DIACID - a molecule with two carboxylic acid (-COOH) functional groups
DIAMINE - a molecule with two amine (-NH2) functional group
DIMER - two monomers linked together
DIOL - a molecule with two alcohol (-OH) functional groups; also called "dialcohol"
DOUBLE BOND - two covalent bonds (two shared pairs of electrons between two atoms) represented by "=" (Examples: C=C, C=O)
FREE RADICAL - a very reactive species that has an unpaired electron
FUNCTIONAL GROUP - a group of atoms on a monomer that can react with a group of atoms on a second monomer (Example: -COOH)
INITIATION - the first step in addition polymerization in which a highly reactive species is generated, usually a free radical
MACROMOLECULE - a large-sized molecule; another name for polymer
MECHANISM - the step-by-step changes by which a chemical reaction occurs
MONOMER - a small molecule that can react with other small molecules to form a giant molecule, or polymer
PEROXIDE - a molecule with an unstable -O-O- bond (Example: HOOH)
PLASTIC - a polymeric material that can be molded
POLYMER - a giant molecule formed when hundreds or thousands of small monomer molecules bond to each other to form chains or networks
POLYMER DISTRIBUTION GRAPH - a graph that shows the relative amounts of chains of different lengths during the progression of a polymerization
POLYMERIZATION - the process by which polymers are formed from small monomer molecules
PROPAGATION - the step an addition polymerization in which a monomer is added to the growing polymer chain
SIDE GROUP - an atom or a group of atoms (in addition monomers) bonded to one of two double-bonded carbon atoms (Example: "Cl" in CH2=CHCl)
SINGLE BOND - one covalent bond (one shared pair of electrons between two atoms), represented by "-" (Examples: C-C, C-O)
STEP-GROWTH POLYMERIZATION - another name for condensation polymerization
TERMINATION - the step in addtion polymerization in which the growing chain stops growing
TRIMER - three monomers linked together