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Polymerisation is a process that creates polymers through the joining of smaller molecules called monomers. These monomers link together, often in long chains, to form a larger macromolecule. There are several primary mechanisms by which polymerisation occurs.

Chain-growth polymerisation, also known as addition polymerisation, involves the sequential addition of monomers to an active centre. This active centre, which can be a radical, cation, or anion, is regenerated with each added monomer. This process is typically fast and can lead to high molecular weight polymers. Examples include the formation of polyethylene and polystyrene.

Step-growth polymerisation, also known as condensation polymerisation, involves reactions between monomers that have two or more functional groups. These reactions occur in steps, where monomers react to form dimers, then trimers, and so on, with the gradual increase in molecular weight. Often, a small molecule, such as water, is eliminated as a byproduct. Polycondensation reactions lead to polymers like polyesters and polyamides.

There are also other forms of polymerisation, such as ring-opening polymerisation, where cyclic monomers open to form linear polymer chains. The specific method employed depends on the type of monomer, the desired polymer structure, and the intended application. Understanding these processes is crucial for materials science and the production of a vast range of plastics, fibers, and other polymeric materials.