homopolymer

chemistry

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 29, 2026

Quick Summary

A homopolymer is a type of polymer made up of identical monomer units. For example, polyethylene is a homopolymer. This is in contrast to copolymers, which are formed from two or more different monomers.123

Homopolymers can be created through processes like chain-growth polymerization or step-growth polymerization. While some homopolymers have ideal properties for certain uses, they might lack specific qualities. In such cases, copolymerization can introduce desired characteristics that the original homopolymer lacked.452

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

7 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

chemistry of industrial polymers
Copolymers and polymer blends
…the product is called a homopolymer—as shown in Figure 3A, with polyvinyl chloride as the example. Copolymers, on the other hand, are made from two or more monomers. Procedures have been developed to make copolymers in which the repeating units are distributed randomly (Figure 3B), in alternating fashion (Figure 3C),…
Read More
…the product is called a homopolymer—as shown in Figure 3A, with polyvinyl chloride as the example. Copolymers, on the other hand, are made from two or more monomers. Procedures have been developed to make copolymers in which the repeating units are distributed randomly (Figure 3B), in alternating fashion (Figure 3C),…
Read More