All the monomers from which addition polymers are made are alkenes or functionally substituted alkenes. The most common and thermodynamically favored chemical transformations of alkenes are addition reactions. Many of these addition reactions are known to proceed in a stepwise fashion by way of reactive intermediates, and this is the mechanism followed by most polymerizations. A general diagram illustrating this assembly of linear macromolecules, which supports the name chain growth polymers, is presented here. Since a pi-bond in the monomer is converted to a sigma-bond in the polymer, the polymerization reaction is usually exothermic by 8 to 20 kcal/mol. Indeed, cases of explosively uncontrolled polymerizations have been reported.

It is useful to distinguish four polymerization procedures fitting this general description.

• Radical Polymerization The initiator is a radical, and the propagating site of reactivity (*) is a carbon radical.
• Cationic Polymerization The initiator is an acid, and the propagating site of reactivity (*) is a carbocation.
• Anionic Polymerization The initiator is a nucleophile, and the propagating site of reactivity (*) is a carbanion.
• Coordination Catalytic Polymerization The initiator is a transition metal complex, and the propagating site of reactivity (*) is a terminal catalytic complex.