Homopolymerization and Co-polymerization

"A polymers is defined as a large molecule (or macromolecule), formed by joining together thousands of smaller molecule units by chemical bonds". These smaller molecules that interact with each other to form a larger molecule are called "Monomers". And in polymer chemistry, a reaction by which smaller molecules (called monomers) react with each other to form a larger molecule (called polymers), is called "Polymerization". 

Polymers are the high molecular mass compounds. We know that a polymer can be formed from only one type of monomer unit or from two or more than two different types of monomer units. 
Based on that, there are two types of polymerization techniques; namely Homopolymerization reaction and Copolymerization reaction.

(In my previous posts, we have seen two types of polymerization techniques, namely chain-growth polymerization reaction and step-growth polymerization reaction classified on the basis of saturated or unsaturated monomer units.)

➛ Let us now look at these two polymerization processes in detail;
(1)Homo-polymerization reaction
The word homopolymerization is a combination of two words,
          Homo – means single or one  
    Polymerization – A process in which
                thousands of smaller molecules join
                   together to form larger molecules.
Thus, the polymerization process in which a single type of monomer unit is used to form a polymer, is called homo-polymerization and the polymer formed by this type of polymerization process is known as homo-polymer. 
Examples of homopolymer are as polyethylene (ethene monomer), polypropylene (propene monomer), polyvinyl chloride or PVC (vinyl chloride monomer), polyacrylonitrile or PAN (vinyl cyanide monomer), etc.

(2)Co-polymerization reaction
The word homopolymerization is a combination of two words,
          Co – means two or more than two
 Polymerization – A process in which
             thousands of smaller molecules join
               together to form larger molecules.
Thus, the polymerization process in which two or more than two types of monomer unit are used to form a polymer, is called Co-polymerization and the polymer formed by this type of polymerization process is known as co-polymer. Multiple units of each monomer are present in a copolymer. Many commercially important polymers are copolymers. 
Example of co-polymers are Buna-S (from 1,3-butadiene and styrene monomers), Nylon-66 (from adipic acid and hexa-methylene-diamine monomers), Polyesters, Bakelite (from phenol and formaldehyde monomers), polyethylene-vinyl acetate, etc.


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