Which elements can occur in the backbone of a heterochain polymer?

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major industrial polymers Figure 1: The linear form of polyethylene, known as high-density polyethylene (HDPE).

In the context of major industrial polymers, polymers are classified by the composition of their backbones—the chains of linked repeating units that form the macromolecule. While carbon-chain polymers consist exclusively of linkages between carbon atoms, heterochain polymers incorporate other elements into their backbone structure alongside carbon.12

The elements that can occur in the backbone of a heterochain polymer include:

Oxygen12
Nitrogen12
Sulfur12
Silicon12

These elements are integrated into the backbone chain, often resulting in complex structures such as polyethers (containing oxygen), polysulfides (containing sulfur), or silicones, which feature a backbone of alternating silicon and oxygen atoms.1345