Considering the CO feedstock may also be derived from CO2, polyketone provides added value from a carbon capture perspective. The perfectly alternating olefins/CO sequence results in highly linear chains capable of efficient packing in the orthorhombic crystal system. This unique microstructure imparts high melting temperature creating both opportunities and challenges in processing.

Despite superior physical properties compared to polyolefins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, the initial commercialization attempts with polyketones were unsuccessful due to their instability under conventional melt-processing methods, where side reactions occur in the melt state. Alternative routes such as solution spinning have demonstrated high-strength fibers, but the reliance on large volumes of toxic solvents limits their scalability and environmental viability. Solid-state processing, in which polymers are processed below the melting point without solvents, offers a sustainable alternative. Successfully employed for ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and polypropylene (UHMWPP), this method circumvents degradation, high melt viscosity, and solvent use.

This thesis investigates the solid-state processing approach to aliphatic polyketones, which demands precise control of polymerization conditions to yield nascent, low-entangled states that enable efficient solid-state drawing. Recent advances now demonstrate the feasibility of synthesizing ultrahigh molecular weight polyketones with remarkable mechanical properties via this strategy, reviving their potential as next-generation high-performance and sustainable engineering materials.