Polymerization is the chemical process by which monomers are linked together to form polymers. There are two main types of polymerization: chain-growth polymerization and step-growth polymerization. In chain-growth polymerization, monomers add to the active center of a growing chain one at a time. In step-growth polymerization, monomers react to form dimers, trimers, and eventually long chains. Polymerization is used to produce a vast array of synthetic polymers with diverse properties and applications.

聚合是单体连接在一起形成聚合物的化学过程。聚合主要有两种类型：链增长聚合和逐步增长聚合。在链增长聚合中，单体一次一个地添加到不断增长的链的活性中心。在逐步增长聚合中，单体反应形成二聚体、三聚体，最终形成长链。聚合用于生产具有多种特性和应用的各种合成聚合物。