Polyethene

Polyethene is a very basic plastic, a simple polymer.

Before polymerization, it is built up of Ethene molecules:

    H   H

    |   | 

    C = C

    |   |

    H   H

The angles are soewaht different than shown in ASCII.

(CH2 = CH2)

(Two CH2 connected by a double bond)

In the polymerization process, the double bonding is split up and a macromolecule is thus created.

    H   H   H

    |   |   |

R - C - C - C - R

    |   |   |

    H   H   H

(R-CH2-CH2-CH2-R)

R indicates that the chain consisting of the same Compound CH2 continues.