COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS

**Definition:** This place covers:

The above compositions and uses may involve macromolecular substances obtained by reactions which may or may not involve only carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds and compositions.

Subclass C08L is the technical field for compositions of polymers. In general, compositions of single polymers in solution are also classified in subclass C08L , unless otherwise mentioned in specific groups.

**Glossary:** - addition polymers: polymers in which unsaturated monomer molecules join together to form a polymer in which the molecular formula of the repeat unit is identical (except for the double bond) with that of the monomer - aliphatic radical: means an acyclic or non-aromatic carbocyclic carbon skeleton which is considered to be terminated by every bond to: an element other than carbon; a carbon atom having a double bond to one atom other than carbon; an aromatic carbocyclic ring or a heterocyclic ring. Examples: Polymers of CH 2 =CH-O-CH 2 -CH 2 -NH-COO-CH 2 - CH 2 -OH are classified in group C08F16/28 ; polymers of CH 2 =CH-CO-CH=CH 2 are classified in group C08F16/36 or polymers of CH 2 =CH-C 6 H 4 -Cl are classified in group C08F12/18 . - block polymers: polymers formed by polymerisation of monomers on to a macromolecule having groups capable of inducing the formation of new polymer chains bound at one or both ends of the starting macromolecule or by polymerisation using successively different catalyst types or successively different monomer systems without deactivating the intermediate polymer - condensation polymers: polymers in which water or some other simple molecule is eliminated from 2 or more monomer molecules as they combine to form the polymer or crosslinks between polymer chains - copolymer: usually denotes a polymer of 2 chemically distinct monomers and sometimes denotes a terpolymer containing more than 2 types of monomer unit - graft polymers: macromolecular compounds obtained by polymerising monomers on to preformed polymers or on to inorganic materials. Such preformed polymers could be rubbers, polysaccharides, condensation polymers, homopolymers or copolymers of the addition polymer type. - homopolymers: polymers resulting from the polymerisation of a single monomer or polymer with a single type of repeating unit - repeat(ing) unit: the unit in an addition polymer which is repeated throughout the molecule; for example, in polyethylene, the repeat unit is: –CH 2 -CH 2 - - rubber: a) natural or conjugated diene rubbers; or b) rubber in general