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Polymers are not restricted to monomers of the same chemical composition or molecular weight and structure. Polymers are huge molecules that are encountered in nature as well as in our modern technology. This book introduces students to polymers, their properties, and some of the many ways polymers are found in the modern world. Polymers are created through chemical reactions known as polymerizations, and the majority are produced through two basic reaction types. The first type of polymerization reaction is known as a condensation polymerization. The second type of reaction is known as chain-growth polymerization. Since many polymers are made of long, flexible chains, they become easily tangled, much like a bowl of cooked spaghetti. The disordered tangling of the polymer chains create what is known as an amorphous structure. Amorphous polymers are typically transparent and much easier to melt to make materials like kitchen cling film.
