Kinetic chain length

In polymer chemistry the kinetic chain length of a polymer, ν, is the average number of monomers during polymerization. During this process, a polymer chain is formed when units called monomers are bonded together to form longer chains known as polymers. Kinetic chain length is defined as the average number of monomer units consumed for each radical initiator that begins the polymerization of a chain and is a more general development of the average degree of polymerization. The kinetic chain length can be calculated several ways, and its value can describe certain characteristics of the material, including chain mobility, glass-transition temperature, and modulus of elasticity.