Polymer synthesis
Innovation for customized materials
Polymer synthesis forms the basis for the development of modern plastics and opens up new possibilities for tailor-made material properties. Targeted chemical reactions produce polymers that enable new applications in a wide variety of areas.
Our expertise in the field of polymer synthesis:
- Laboratory-scale synthesis and scale-up
- Development of customized formulations
- (Partially) bio-based systems
- Use of synthesized resins for compounding on a laboratory and pilot plant scale
Services
What does polymer synthesis actually mean?
Polymer synthesis refers to the chemical production of polymers—macromolecular substances consisting of many similar or different small building blocks, known as monomers. Through chemical reactions, these monomers combine to form long chains or cross-linked structures. In broad terms, polymer synthesis refers to the processes by which polymers are formed. Polymer synthesis is a central basis for the production of numerous plastics, resins, and elastomers and is used in areas such as packaging, medicine, electronics, and textile technology.
The most important polymer synthesis processes include:
Chain polymerization: Reaction in which monomers are gradually added to a growing polymer chain end through radical, ionic, or coordinative mechanisms
Step-growth polymerization: Formation of macromolecules through reactions between functional groups, often involving water elimination or other condensation reactions
Copolymerization: Joint polymerization of different monomers to produce customized material properties
