Table 4.
Advantages and disadvantages of different polymer synthesis methods.
| Method | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|
| Azeotropic polycondensation | Low cost | Low yield |
| Basic equipment | Low purity (usually with residual solvent and byproducts in polymer) | |
| Moderate temperature (<180 °C) | Solvent waste and pollution | |
| Solid state polycondensation | High purity (suppression of side reactions) | Low yield |
| High molecular weight | Long duration | |
| Moderate conditions | Complicated operation | |
| Ring opening polymerization | High purity | Low overall yield |
| Wide range of molecular weight (2 × 104 to 6.8 × 105 g·mol−1) [56] | Long duration | |
| Availability in high molecular weight | Demanding condition | |
| Controlled polymer properties | Complicated operation |