3. Chain termination.
The polymerization process continues until the radicals combine with each other or with other
molecules to form stable compound. This terminates the growth of the polymer chain.
Termination can happen in several ways, with two primary mechanisms:
Combination: Two growing chain radicals combine to form a single, stable molecule. This
mechanism results in the joining of two polyethylene chains, with no free radicals left.
Disproportionation: In this process, two chain radicals react in such a way that one radical
donates a hydrogen atom to the other and there is a formation of a double bond at the end of one
chain and saturated methyl group at the end of other chain. This transfer stabilizes both chains,
resulting in the termination of the growth.
5|Page
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