ABSTRACT
In contrast to the slow step-reaction polymerization discussed in Chapter 6, chain-reaction polymerization is usually rapid, and the initiated species continue to propagate until termination. Thus, in the extreme case, one initiating species could be produced which would produce one high molecular weight polymer molecule, leaving all of the other monomer molecules unchanged. In any case, the concentration of the monomer, which is usually a derivative of ethylene, decreases continuously throughout the reaction. In contrast to stepwise polymerization, the first species produced is a high molecular weight polymer.
