ABSTRACT
Polymerization is the process of joining together small molecules by covalent bonds to produce high-molecular-weight polymers. Both natural and synthetic polymers are built from these simple small molecular units known as monomers. However, the range of properties that can be achieved depends on the strategy used to assemble these units. This chapter covers many of the synthetic strategies used to build polymers and provides examples of several of the commercial polymers made with these techniques.
