oligomer

An oligomer is a polymer or polymer intermediate containing a relatively small number of structural units. This is in contrast to a prepolymer, which is a stable, partially polymerized chemical intermediate that can be fully polymerized later.12

Polymerization is a process where small molecules called monomers chemically combine to form very large molecules called polymers. This process involves the formation of stable covalent chemical bonds between monomers. Oligomers can be considered intermediates in this process, containing fewer units than a fully formed polymer. Aldehyde condensation polymers, for example, are formed from monomers like formaldehyde, phenol, urea, or melamine. In their production, a low-molecular-weight prepolymer is first created, which is then fully polymerized.3124