What type of polymerization involves the growth of chains by adding large numbers of mers together?

The process described involves the growth of polymer chains by the sequential addition of monomer units, known as mers. This process is characteristic of addition polymerization, in which monomers that possess unsaturated bonds, such as double bonds, react with each other to form long-chain polymers.

During addition polymerization, the reaction mechanism typically proceeds through initiation, propagation, and termination steps. The initiator starts the reaction by creating reactive species that react with monomers, resulting in chain growth as each new monomer adds to the growing chain. This method allows for the formation of high molecular weight polymers from small repetitive units without the loss of small molecules.

In contrast, other types of polymerization, like condensation polymerization, involve the elimination of small molecules (such as water) as the monomers combine, and are therefore not driven primarily by the simple addition of mers. This fundamental distinction helps to identify addition polymerization as the process focused on the chain growth by merely adding mers together.