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Merck

Polymer Synthesis Techniques

Chemical structure of nylon plastic polymer with atoms represented as spheres in conventional color coding: hydrogen (white), carbon (grey), oxygen (red). Nylon (nylon-6,6) plastic polymer, chemical structure - linear fragment.

Polymers are a class of materials comprising small repeating chemical units. The building block or the repeating unit in the polymer is called a monomer. Polymerization, or polymer synthesis, is a chemical reaction in which monomers are joined together by covalent bonding to form polymer structures. The length of the polymer chain is characterized by the number of repeating units in the chain, which is referred to as degree of polymerization (DP). The molecular weight of the polymer is the product of the molecular weight of the repeating unit and the DP. The basic properties inherent to polymers mainly depend on the molecular weight, structure (linear or branched), and DP.  



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Example of polymer molecular structure
Polymerization Tools

We provide reliable polymerization tools to initiate and manipulate a chemical reaction of monomers to form polymer chains or networks with specific properties for diverse applications.

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Polyethylene glycol chemical structure written as chemical formula C2H4O
Polyethylene Glycol (PEGs and PEOs)

Discover our selection of polyethylene glycol (PEGs) and PEG derivatives in a wide range of molecular weights for all your PEGylation needs and applications.

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Vials of colorful biomedical polymers being filled with a pipette
Biomedical Polymers

We offer an extensive range of natural and synthetic biomedical polymers with advanced properties suitable for all your biomedical applications.

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Water droplets on blue superhydrophobic polymer
Hydrophobic Polymers

Explore our portfolio of versatile hydrophobic polymers to support your adhesion, coating, fiber, film, engineered plastic and biomedical applications.

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