A chemical compound composed of a very large number of atoms (often hundreds or thousands) forming chains, cycles or other structures. Polymers form by a polymerization process (typically with carbon or aluminum atoms) where smaller units are bound together to form larger units. According to IUPAC, a minor change of the number of integrated atoms does not cause a significant change in the properties of the polymer, and this characteristic distinguishes polymers from oligomers. In clay science publications, oligomers are commonly mistaken for polymers.
Cf., geopolymer, oligomer, polymerization