4 the reaction generally proceeds with substantial conversion of the monomer of the dimer r r 39 r r 39 x then loss of the halogen again results in a carbonium ion which combines in a repetitive process to produce a polymer having an average number molecular weight ranging from approximately 5 000 to 30 000 owing to the reactive sites of a phenyl ring o m and p to the ligand r 39 the polymer is highly branched polymerization to form a linear copolymer according to the present invention is thought to proceed according to the following reaction mechanism spc6 and r is alkyl alkoxide aldehyde sulfonyl or haloalkyl as noted above and m is a metal from the group cr mo and w and x is a halogen from the group of br cl and f removal of both halides from the dihalo compound produces two reactive carbonium ions which will combine with the available positions of the aromatic substrate compound in a repetitive process to form a linear copolymer of average number molecular weight ranging between 5 000 to 30 000 a sulfonylation according to the present invention is thought to proceed according to the following reaction mechanism spc7 r is an alkyl or alkyl substituted phenyl group as noted above and r 39 is hydrogen alkyl alkoxide aryl aryloxide or hydroxide as noted.