There are three main types of chemical bonding: 1) Ionic bonding results from the electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions. It is characteristic of bonds between metals and nonmetals. 2) Covalent bonding involves the sharing of electron pairs between atoms. It can be polar, nonpolar, single, double or triple. 3) Metallic bonding occurs between metal atoms and involves delocalized valence electrons that are free to move throughout the structure.