What Is a Polymer?

A polymer is a material made of very large molecules (macromolecules). These large molecules are formed by repeating and linking small units (monomers). Depending on the type and number of monomers and how they repeat and are arranged in space, polymers with a wide range of properties are produced. In the petrochemical industry, polymers are divided into commodity and engineering polymers. The most widely used polymers in the petrochemical industry include polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene.

Thread, silk, natural rubber, ivory, amber and wood are some of the materials that naturally have an organic macromolecular structure, while quartz and glass have an inorganic macromolecular structure. Materials whose macromolecular structure is repeated synthetically are polymers.

Polyethylene (polyethene) is the most common plastic on earth. It is also the polymer most used in everyday life and is produced chemically from ethylene. Polyethylene can be melted and easily returns to its solid state, which is why it is used in many products such as plastic bags, films and plastic containers. As a result, polyethylene has a very wide range of uses.