Polybutadiene bond breaking

To synthesize polyethylene a double carbon bond in the starting material ethylene (CH2=CH2) breaks to allow attachment to other ethylene molecules resulting in a high molecular weight material or macromolecule. Other polymers which are formed by a similar process include polystyrene (repeat unit or monomer is styrene), polypropylene (monomer propene), poly (methyl methacrylate) where the monomer is methyl methacryalate, 1,4-polybutadiene (monomer is buta-1,3-diene) and 1,4-polyisoprene (monomer is isoprene) which has the same formula as natural rubber. Detaik of how polymers are prepared and processed are presented in Chapter 3. 

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