Question

Give an example of a polymerization reaction?

Answer 1

Polymerization reaction:

• The process in which, a large number of monomer units connect together to form a large macromolecule (polymer) of different sizes and lengths is called polymerization reaction.
• It is a process by which monomer units are converted into polymers.
• Polymerization reactions are mostly chain reactions.
• Examples are polyethene from ethylene, polystyrene from styrene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) from vinyl chloride, polypropylene from propylene, etc.

Hence, an example of a polymerization reaction is, ethylene polymerizes to form polyethene as follows,

${\mathrm{nCH}}_2={\mathrm{CH}}_2\stackrel{\mathrm{polymerisation}}{\to }-{\left[-{\mathrm{CH}}_2-{\mathrm{CH}}_2-\right]}_{\mathrm{n}}-$

(Ethylene) (Polyethene)