Polymer

Artificial polymers, also known as plastics, are synthetic materials that consist of long chains of molecules. These molecular chains are formed by a chemical process called polymerisation. During polymerisation, many small molecules, known as monomers, combine to form large, complex structures, the macromolecules.

Typically, polymers have a molar mass that is greater than 10 kg/mol. This high molar mass is a characteristic that distinguishes them from smaller molecular compounds. If only a few monomers are linked to one another and the resulting molecules have a lower molar mass, they are referred to as oligomers. Oligomers therefore have less complex structures and differ significantly from polymers in their physical and chemical properties.