the process enables the simultaneous production of hydroxytelechelic polymers and oligomers by the radical route . at least one ethylenically unsaturated monomer is polymerized in the presence of hydrogen peroxide under the effect of ultra - violet radiation . the polymerization is carried out in a diluent medium comprising essentially an alcohol . the process can be operated to produce polymers having average molecular weights between one hundred and one million and to produce selectively unimodal , bi - modal or multi - modal distributions of molecular weights .