Genesis of polyethylene

Work of other researchers portended the discovery of polyethylene. For example, in 1898, Flans von Pechman produced a composition he called polymethylene by decomposition of diazomethane. Polymethylene was also produced by other 

Other noteworthy milestones in the evolution of industrial polyethylene include the following  

This chapter introduces basic features of polyethylene, a product that touches everyday life in countless ways. However, polyethylene is not monolithic. The various types, their nomenclatures, and how they differ will be discussed. Key characteristics and classification methods will be briefly surveyed. An overview of transition metal catalysts has been included in this introductory chapter (see section 1.5) because these are the most important types of catalysts currently used in the manufacture of polyethylene. Additional details on transition metal catalysts will be addressed in subsequent chapters. 

This chapter may be skipped by readers having an understanding of fundamental properties and nomenclatures of industrial polyethylene and a basic understanding of catalysts. 

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