Editing Addition polymer (section)

== History ==
The first useful addition polymer was made by accident in 1933 by [[Imperial Chemical Industries|ICI]] chemists [[Reginald Gibson (chemist)|Reginald Gibson]] and [[Eric Fawcett (chemist)|Eric Fawcett]]. They were carrying out a series of experiments that involved reacting organic compounds under high temperatures and high pressures. They set up an experiment to react ethene with [[benzaldehyde]] in the hope of producing a [[ketone]]. They left the reaction vessel overnight, and the next morning they found a small amount of a white waxy solid. It was shown later that this solid was [[polyethylene]]. 

{{Quote box
 |width = 50%
 |title = [[International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry|IUPAC]] definition
 |quote = '''Chain polymerization''': [[Chain reaction]] in which the growth of a [[polymer]] chain proceeds exclusively by reaction(s) between monomer(s) and active site(s) on the polymer chain with regeneration of the active site(s) at the end of each growth step.<ref>{{cite journal|title= Glossary of terms related to kinetics, thermodynamics, and mechanisms of polymerization (IUPAC Recommendations 2008)|journal=[[Pure and Applied Chemistry]]|year=2008|volume=80|issue=10|pages=2163–2193|doi=10.1351/pac200880102163|url=http://www.iupac.org/publications/pac/pdf/2008/pdf/8010x2163.pdf |last1=Penczek|first1=Stanisław|last2=Moad|first2=Graeme}}</ref> 
}}
The term "addition polymerization" is deprecated by [[IUPAC]] (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry) which recommends the alternative term [[chain-growth polymerisation|chain polymerization]].
{{clear}}