Polymers

Polymers

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Monomer and
Reaction Type
Ethylene
    (PE addition)
Propylene
    (PP addition)
Isobutylene
    (PIB addition)
Terephthalic Acid
    (PET condensation)
Ethylene Glycol
    (PET condensation)
    (PEN condensation)
    (PU addition)
Dimethyl
    Terephthalate
    (transesterification
    PET condensation)
Naphthalene-
    dicarboxylic Acid
    (PEN condensation)
Styrene
    (PS addition)
Vinyl Chloride
    (PVC addition)
Vinylidene
    Chloride
    (PVDC addition)
Vinylidene
    Fluoride
    (PVDF addition)
Tetrafluoro-
    ethylene
    (PTFE addition)
Lactic Acid
    (PLA condensation)
Lactide
    (PLA ring-opening)
Glycolic Acid
    (PGA condensation)
Glycolide
    (PGA ring-opening)
Propylene
    Carbonate
    (PTMC ring-opening)
Methyl
    Methacrylate
    (PMMA addition)
Vinyl Acetate
    (PVAc addition;
     hydrolyzed to PVA)
Butanal or
    Butyraldehyde
    (PVB condensation
    with PVA)
Acrylonitrile
    (PAN addition)
Ethyl
    Cyanoacrylate
    (PECA addition)
Butadiene
    (PBR addition)
Chloroprene
    (Neoprene addition)
Ethylene Oxide
    (PEG ring-opening)
Dimethylphenol
    (PPO oxidative)
Caprolactone
    (PCL ring-opening)
Caprolactam
    (Nylon6 ring-opening)
Adipic Acid
    (Nylon66 condensation)
Hexanediamine
    (Nylon66 condensation)
Pyromellitic
    Dianhydride
    (Kapton condensation)
Diaminodiphenyl
    Ether
    (Kapton condensation)
Terephthaloyl
    Chloride
    (Kevlar condensation)
    (PET condensation)
p-Phenylene-
    diamine
    (Kevlar condensation)
Isophthaloyl
    Chloride
    (Nomex condensation)
m-Phenylene-
    diamine
    (Nomex condensation)
Bisphenol A
    (Lexan condensation)
Phosgene
    (Lexan condensation)
Norbornene
    (PN ring-opening)
    (PNB addition)
    depending on
    catalyst choice
Diphenyl-
    methane-
    diisocyanate
    (PU addition)
Dichloro-
    dimethylsilane
    (PDMS condensation
    with H₂O)
Acetylene
    (PA condensation)
Pyrrole
    (PPy oxidative)
Thiophene
    (PTh oxidative)
Ethylenedioxy-
    thiophene
    (PEDOT oxidative)

Addition
polymers from
monomers with
C=C giving an
all carbon
backbone
(extra H added
to chain ends)
or
adding -OH
across N=C=O
making urethane.

Condensation
polymers from
difunctional
monomers with
small-molecule
loss (H₂O, HCl).

Ring-opening
polymers from
cyclic monomers
(extra atoms
added to
chain ends).

Oxidative
polymerization
via loss of one
electron to form
a radical cation,
coupling with
another radical
and proton loss
or
linking C-H or O-H
using ½O₂ to also
produce H₂O.

Catalysts or
free-radical
initiators
required for
polymerization.

Copolymers
have segments
from more than
one polymer.

Polymer and
Recycling Codes
Polyethylene (HDPE)

Polyethylene (LDPE)

Polypropylene (isotactic)

Polypropylene (syndiotactic)

Polyisobutylene

PIB

Polyethylene Terephthalate

Polyethylene Naphthalate

PEN

Polystyrene (atactic)

Polyvinyl chloride (atactic)

Polyvinylidene chloride

PVDC

Polyvinylidene fluoride

PVDF

Polytetrafluoroethylene

PTFE

Polylactic Acid (isotactic)

PLA

Polylglycolic Acid

PGA

Polytrimethylene carbonate

PTMC

Polymethyl methacrylate
(atactic)

PMMA

Polyvinylacetate (atactic)

PVAc

Polyvinylalcohol (atactic)

PVA

Polyvinylbutyral (atactic)

PVB

Polyacrylonitrile (atactic)

PAN

Polyethylcyanoacrylate
(syndiotactic)

PECA

Polybutadiene Rubber (cis)

PBR

Polybutadiene Rubber (trans)

Polychloroprene

Neoprene

Polyethylene glycol

PEG

Polyphenylene oxide

PPO

Polycaprolactone

PCL

Polycaprolactam Nylon 6

Polyamide Nylon 66

Polyimide Kapton

p-Polyaramid Kevlar

m-Polyaramid Nomex

Polycarbonate Lexan

Polynorbornene ring-opening

Polynorbornene addition

PNB

Polyurethane

Polydimethylsiloxane

PDMS

Conducting polymers
Polyacetylene (trans)

Polyacetylene (cis)

Polypyrrole

PPy

Polythiophene

PTh

Polyethylenedioxythiophene

PEDOT

Only small portions of the polymers are shown; there may be many thousands of repeat units. Atactic polymers do not have stereochemical regularity so conformations shown are random.

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Monomers modified from PubChem. Formulas modified from Wikipedia.
Polymers drawn using jsmol with local force field energy minimization.
For polymer information see USM Polymer Science Learning Center.
This page created by George Lisensky, Beloit College.
Last modified February 23, 2026.

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