Newer polymers and polymerisation processes

The polymerisation processes described in the previous section are the classical processes used for producing the bulk commercial polymers. Newer processes have been and are being developed with a variety of aims in mind. These involve the production of novel polymer topologies (see box) precise control over chain length and over monomer sequences in copolymers control of isomerism (see section 4.1) production of polymers with special reactive end groups, the so-called telechelic polymers, production of specially designed thermally stable polymers and liquid-crystal polymers with a variety of different structures and properties. Other developments include the production of polymers with very precisely defined molar masses, and of networks with precisely defined chain lengths 

A development of particular importance for the controlled production of block copolymers is the perfection of various so-called living polymerisation techniques. In the classical addition polymerisations there was always a termination stage, leading to the production of chains with non-reactive groups at both ends of the polymer chain. Polymerisation could therefore stop before all monomer had been exhausted, although ideally the termination step was of much lower probability than the propagation step. In living polymerisations there is no termination step and the reaction proceeds in the ideal case until all monomer has been exhausted. The chains still have reactive ends and a second type of monomer can then be added to the reaction to produce a block of a different type of polymer. 

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