Polymerization
In addition to combustion, many polymerization reactions involve free radicals. As a result many plastics, enamels, and other polymers are formed through radical polymerization.
Recent advances in radical polymerization methods, known as living radical polymerization, include:
- Reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT)
- Atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP)
- Nitroxide mediated polymerization (NMP)
These methods produce polymers with a much narrower distribution of molecular weights.
Read more about this topic: Radical (chemistry)