Photopolymerization of vinyl fluoride

The photopolymerization of vinyl fluoride, in the presence of peroxide, was studied in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solution and in bulk. It was found that high rates of reaction could be obtained in spite of the fact that the polymer precipitates at an early stage. By continuous supply of monomer the precipitated polymer was converted into a transparent bulk polymer.     

Emulsion polymerization of acrylonitrile. Part II. Mechanism of emulsion polymerization of acrylonitrile

The mechanism of emulsion polymerization of acrylonitrile has been studied by measuring by dilatometry and electron microscopy the adsorption of monomer into polymer particles and polymerization characteristics such as rate, degree of polymerization, the growth of the particle during polymerization, and the degree of dispersion. In the emulsion polymerization of acrylonitrile, new particles are formed during polymerization at a rate which is proportional to the rate of polymerization and the ratio of unreacted monomer. The total amount of monomer adsorbed on or in the polymer particles is rather small, but the concentration on or in the polymer particles is sufficiently high and proportional to the monomer concentration in aqueous phase. The polymerization proceeds concurrently on or in the polymer particles and in aqueous phase, but the three loci may be continuous rather than discrete. A reaction scheme is introduced here which shows the coexistence of polymerizations on or in the polymer particles and in the aqueous phase.     

Synthesis and characterization of a self-crosslinkable polymer from cardanol: Autooxidation of poly(cardanyl acrylate) to crosslinked film

Cardanyl acrylate (CA), a monomer that yields crosslinkable copolymers, was synthesized by the reaction of cardanol with acryloyl chloride. A linear polymer was obtained by solution polymerization of the monomer in toluene using 0.8% azobisisobutyronitrile as initiator. Upon removal of solvent, the polymer undergoes crosslinking on exposure to air (or UV light) to give an insoluble transparent film. However, in bulk and suspension polymerization the polymer undergoes in situ crosslinking in the absence of any crosslinking agent. The polymer was characterized by IR, NMR, DSC, and GPC. The crosslinking reaction of soluble polymer on exposure to air at ambient conditions was explained by the hydroperoxide theory. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Sterically stabilized emulsion polymerization of styrene: Pseudo‐semicontinuous approach

The sterically stabilized emulsion polymerization of styrene initiated by a water‐soluble initiator at different temperatures has been investigated. The rate of polymerization (R_p) versus conversion curve shows the two non‐stationary‐rate intervals typical for the polymerization proceeding under non‐stationary‐state conditions. The shape of the R_p versus conversion curve results from two opposite effects—the increased number of particles and the decreased monomer concentration at reaction loci as the polymerization advances. At elevated temperatures the monomer emulsion equilibrates to a two‐phase or three‐phase system. The upper phase is transparent (monomer), and the lower one is blue colored, typical for microemulsion. After stirring such a multiphase system and initiation of polymerization, the initial coarse polymer emulsion was formed. The average size of monomer/polymer particles strongly decreased up to about 40% conversion and then leveled off. The initial large particles are assumed to be highly monomer‐swollen particles formed by the heteroagglomeration of unstable polymer particles and monomer droplets. The size of the “highly monomer” swollen particles continuously decreases with conversion, and they merge with the growing particles at about 40–50% conversion. The monomer droplets and/or large highly monomer‐swollen polymer particles also serve as a reservoir of monomer and emulsifier. The continuous release of nonionic (hydrophobic) emulsifier from the monomer phase increases the colloidal stability of primary particles and the number of polymer particles, that is, the particle nucleation is shifted to the higher conversion region. Variations of the square and cube of the mean droplet radius with aging time indicate that neither the coalescence nor the Ostwald ripening is the main driving force for the droplet instability. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 804–820, 2003     

Radiation-induced emulsion polymerization of ethylene. VI. Continuous flow system

The radiation-induced emulsion polymerization of ethylene in a continuous flow system was carried out at 100°C by using FC-143 and potassium myristate. The polymer concentration in the latex during the course of the polymerization oscillated several times and then approached a steady-state value in a few hours in the case of short residence time. The rate of polymerization was almost constant within the residence time range of 0.2–0.9 hr. This is explained by the kinetics assuming the same mechanism previously proposed in the batch system, that is, the number of polymer particles in this range is considered to be constant. Gel formation was observed at longer reaction times in spite of the continuous supply of myristate micelles, possibly because large polymer particles are produced in this stage. The concentration of carbonyl group in the polymer produced by chain transfer to absorbed myristate ion changes in the same way as the polymer concentration with reaction time. The methyl group in the polymer is produced mainly by chain transfer to the polymer, and the concentration is nearly constant during the polymerization except in the initial stage. The rate constants for the continuous polymerization were very different from the batch polymerization previously studied, despite their similarities in nature. The mass transfer rate of the emulsifier from the micelles to the polymer particles requires future study.     

Kinetic study of the alternating copolymerization of butadiene and methyl methacrylate

A kinetic investigation of the alternating copolymerization of butadiene and methyl methacrylate with the use of a system of ethylaluminum dichloride and vanadyl chloride as a catalyst was undertaken. The relation between the polymer yield and the molar fraction of methyl methacrylate in the feed was examined by continuous variation of butadiene and methyl methacrylate, the concentrations of total monomer, ethylaluminum dichloride, and vanadyl chloride being kept constant. This continuous variation method revealed that the polymer yield attains its maximum value with a monomer feed containing less than the 0.5 molar fraction of methyl methacrylate. This value of the molar fraction of methyl methacrylate affording the maximum polymer yield decreased on increasing the total monomer concentration but was not changed on varying the concentration of ethylaluminum dichloride. The number of active species estimated from the relation between yield and molecular weight of the polymer was almost constant, regardless of the molar fraction of methyl methacrylate in the feed. Consequently, it can be said that the maximum polymer yield depends mainly on the propagation reaction, not on the initiation reaction or the termination reaction. Three types of the mechanism have been discussed for this alternating copolymerization: polymerization via alternating addition of butadiene and methyl methacrylate complexed with ethylaluminum dichloride by the Lewis-Mayo scheme; polymerization via the ternary intermediate of butadiene, methyl methacrylate, and ethylaluminum dichloride; polymerization via the complex formation of butadiene and methyl methacrylate complexed with ethylaluminum dichloride occurring only at the growing polymer radical. From the kinetic results obtained, it was shown that the first and third schemes are excluded, and polymerization by way of the ternary intermediate is compatible with the data.     

Role of Functional Groups in the Monomer Molecule on the Radical Polymerization in the Presence of Graphene Oxide. Polymerization of Hydroxyethyl Acrylate under Isothermal and Non-Isothermal Conditions

Functional groups in a monomer molecule usually play an important role during polymerization by enhancing or decreasing the reaction rate due to the possible formation of side bonds. The situation becomes more complicated when polymerization takes place in the presence of graphene oxide since it also includes functional groups in its surface. Aiming to explore the role of functional groups on polymerization rate, the in situ bulk radical polymerization of hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA) in the presence or not of graphene oxide was investigated. Differential scanning calorimetry was used to continuously record the reaction rate under both isothermal and non-isothermal conditions. Simple kinetic models and isoconversional analysis were used to estimate the variation of the overall activation energy with the monomer conversion. It was found that during isothermal experiments, the formation of both inter- and intra-chain hydrogen bonds between the monomer and polymer molecules results in slower polymerization of neat HEA with higher overall activation energy compared to that estimated in the presence of GO. The presence of GO results in a dissociation of hydrogen bonds between monomer and polymer molecules and, thus, to higher reaction rates. Isoconversional methods employed during non-isothermal experiments revealed that the presence of GO results in higher overall activation energy due to the reaction of more functional groups on the surface of GO with the hydroxyl and carbonyl groups of the monomer and polymer molecules, together with the reaction of primary initiator radicals with the surface hydroxyl groups in GO.     

Preparation and colloidal stability of monodisperse magnetic polymer particles

A previously proposed method was examined for producing monodisperse, submicrometer-sized magnetic polymer particles. The method applies soap-free emulsion polymerization during which Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles are heterocoagulated onto precipitated polymer nuclei. To chemically fix the magnetic particles to the polymer nuclei, vinyl groups were introduced on the Fe3O4 particles in a preliminary surface modification reaction with methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane, and methacryloxypropyldimethoxysilane (MPDMS) was added to reaction systems of the soap-free emulsion polymerization. The colloidal dispersion stability of magnetic polymer particles was improved by the addition of an ionic monomer, sodium p-styrenesulfonate (NaSS), during the polymerization. The polymerizations were carried out with styrene monomer and potassium persulfate initiator in ranges of NaSS concentrations (0-2.4 x 10(-3) M), NaSS addition times (60-80 min), and monomer concentrations (0.3-0.6 M) at fixed concentrations of 1.6 x 10(-2) M initiator and 1.3 x 10(-2) M MPDMS for pH 4.5 adjusted with a buffer system of [CH3COOH]/[NaOH]. The addition of NaSS during the polymerization could maintain the dispersion stability of magnetic polymer particles during the polymerization. Selection of the reaction conditions enabled the preparation of colloidally stable, submicrometer-sized magnetic polymer particles that had coefficients of variation of distribution smaller than the standard criterion for monodispersity, 10%.     

Synthesis of hyperbranched polymers via proton‐transfer polymerization of acrylate monomer containing two hydroxy groups

The hyperbranched polymer 2 was produced via triphenylphosphine initiated polymerization of the acrylate monomer 1 containing two hydroxy groups. The reaction resulting in 2 is based on a Michael‐type addition followed by a proton‐transfer process. The molecular weights evaluated by VPO measurements were vanging between 1 170–2 700 g/mol. The results of the methanolysis experiments of the polymers were used to determine the degrees of branching, that ranged between 0.45 and 0.60. In this polymerization, the hydroxy groups of the monomer and of the polymer are latent propagating species, which are converted into the corresponding anions, which are the actual propagating species active during the proton‐transfer reactions. The proton‐transfer occur frequently during this polymerization in order to afford the formation of hyperbranched polymers.     

Particle nucleation and monomer partitioning in styrene O/W microemulsion polymerization

Particle nucleation in the polymerization of styrene microemulsions was found to take place throughout the polymerization as indicated by measurements of the particle number as a function of conversion. A mechanism based on the nucleation in the microemulsion droplets was proposed to explain the experimental findings although homogeneous nucleation and coagulation during polymerization were not completely ruled out. A thermodynamic model was developed to simulate the partitioning of monomer in the different phases during polymerization. The model predicts that the oil cores of the microemulsion droplets were depleted early in the polymerization (4% conversion). Due to the high monomer/polymer swelling ratio of the polymer particles, most of the monomer resides in the polymer particles during polymerization. The termination of chain growth inside the polymer particles was attributed to the chain transfer reaction to monomer. The low n? (less than 0.5) of the microemulsion system was attributed to the fast exit of monomeric radicals.     

The preparation of sterically stabilized polymer dispersions

The emulsion polymerizations of styrene (St) and butyl acrylate (BA) stabilized by nonionic polyoxyethylene type emulsifiers did not show the long stationary rate interval. This was discussed in terms of two opposing effects: 1) the decreased monomer concentration at the reaction loci due to the depletion of monomer droplets or depressed monomer droplet degradation and 2) the increased number of polymer particles with increasing conversion. The continuous particle nucleation is attributed to the continuous release of emulsifier from the emulsifier saturated monomer droplets and/or the presence of monomer swollen micelles (microdroplets). The limited particle flocculation operative at lower emulsifier concentrations increases the nonstationary-state polymerization. The particle agglomeration is accompanied by the increased reaction order x (N_p vs. [E]^x) above 0.6. The increased uniformity of monomer emulsion stabilized by Tween 20 by homogenization of monomer emulsion increased the final conversion and the polymerization rate as well. The polymerization rate vs. conversion curve of the homogenized emulsion characterized with broader stationary rate interval reminds the four rate intervals system typical for miniemulsion. The accumulation of polymer and nonionic emulsifier within the monomer phase preserves the monomer droplets up to high conversion. The decreased monomer droplet degradation rises the monomer-starved condition or the depressed transport of both monomer and emulsifier to the reaction loci.     

A General Autofluorescence Method to Characterize Polymerization Progress

An autofluorescence technique to characterize polymerization progress in real time/in line was developed, which functioned in the absence of typical fluorogenic groups on the monomer or polymer. The monomer dicyclopentadiene and polymer polydicyclopentadiene are hydrocarbons that lack traditional functional groups for fluorescence spectroscopy. Here, the autofluorescence of formulations containing this monomer and polymer during ruthenium-catalyzed ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) was harnessed for reaction monitoring. The methods fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) and here-developed fluorescence lifetime recovery after photobleaching (FLRAP) characterized polymerization progress in these native systems—without requiring exogenous fluorophore. (Auto)fluorescence lifetime recovery changes during polymerization correlated linearly to degree of cure, providing a quantitative link with reaction progress. These changing signals also provided relative rates of background polymerization, enabling comparison of 10 different catalyst-inhibitor-stabilized formulations. Multiple-well analysis demonstrated suitability for future high-throughput evaluation of formulations for thermosets. The central concept of the combined autofluorescence and FLRAP/FRAP method may be extendable to monitoring other polymerization reactions previously overlooked for lack of an obvious fluorescence handle.     

Dye-sensitized photopolymerization. I. Photopolymerization of ethyl acrylate by sodium fluorescein-ascorbic acid system in aqueous solution

The kinetics of the polymerization of ethyl acrylate (EA) sensitized by dye-reducing agent systems were investigated. The redox system sodium fluorescein-ascorbic acid was used for the polymerization. The systems were buffered with phosphate buffer, and the effects of monomer, dye, temperature, etc., on the reaction system were investigated. The polymerization was followed by measurement of monomer disappearance (gravimetrically) and the chain length of the polymer formed (viscometrically). In the light of the experimental results a suitable kinetic scheme was proposed and the composite rate constants were evaluated.     

Particle formation under monomer‐starved conditions in the semibatch emulsion polymerization of styrene. I. Experimental

Particle formation and particle growth compete in the course of an emulsion polymerization reaction. Any variation in the rate of particle growth, therefore, will result in an opposite effect on the rate of particle formation. The particle formation in a semibatch emulsion polymerization of styrene under monomer‐starved conditions was studied. The semibatch emulsion polymerization reactions were started by the monomer being fed at a low rate to a reaction vessel containing deionized water, an emulsifier, and an initiator. The number of polymer particles increased with a decreasing monomer feed rate. A much larger number of particles (within 1–2 orders of magnitude) than that generally expected from a conventional batch emulsion polymerization was obtained. The results showed a higher dependence of the number of polymer particles on the emulsifier and initiator concentrations compared with that for a batch emulsion polymerization. The size distribution of the particles was characterized by a positive skewness due to the declining rate of the growth of particles during the nucleation stage. A routine for monomer partitioning among the polymer phase, the aqueous phase, and micelles was developed. The results showed that particle formation most likely occurred under monomer‐starved conditions. A small average radical number was obtained because of the formation of a large number of polymer particles, so the kinetics of the system could be explained by a zero–one system. The particle size distribution of the latexes broadened with time as a result of stochastic broadening associated with zero–one systems. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 39: 3940–3952, 2001     

Kinetics of dispersion polymerization: Effect of medium composition

The effect of the medium composition (monomer and solvent) on the kinetics of dispersion polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) was studied via reaction calorimetry. It was found that increasing the monomer concentration increased the reaction rate; the exponent of the dependency of the initial reaction rate on the MMA concentration was found to be 0.93. Narrow particle size distributions were achieved at the lower monomer concentrations (0.24–0.81 mol/L) and a minimum size (2.45 μm) was found at an intermediate concentration (0.44 mol/L). The average molecular weight of the PMMA increased and the molecular weight distribution broadened with increasing monomer concentration. During a dispersion polymerization, the MMA concentration was found to decrease linearly with conversion in both phases, whereas the ratio of concentrations in the particles and continuous phase ([M]_p/[M]_c) remained constant (0.47) with partitioning favoring the continuous phase. The average number of free radicals per particle in MMA dispersion polymerization was estimated to be high from the nucleation stage onward (>5000). The increasing rate during the first ～ 40% conversion was primarily caused by the increasing volume of the polymer particle phase. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 3638–3647, 2008     

新型聚(甲基)丙烯酸酯/盐透明材料的制备及其性能

聚(甲基)丙烯酸酯具有优异的透光性、耐光性和耐候性,广泛用作光学塑料.研制高折射率、高耐热性、低吸湿性的透明高分子材料是近年来光学塑料研究和开发的重点之一.本文介绍了新型聚(甲基)丙烯酸酯/盐透明高分子材料的主要制备方法,即新型单体合成-聚合法、共聚法、共混-聚合法和有机-无机纳米杂化法,并系统地总结了各方法的特点以及所制备的材料的性能,展示了目前应用最为广泛的新型单体合成-聚合法和有机-无机纳米杂化法的潜在的应用前景.     

微乳液聚合制备透明丙烯酸酯多孔共聚物

多孔聚丙烯酸酯;引发;微乳液聚合制备透明丙烯酸酯多孔共聚物     

UV光引发的丙烯酰胺反相乳液聚合

报道了不透明丙烯酰胺反相乳液体系的UV光引发聚合新方法 .使用普通中压汞灯并辅以适当搅拌 ,UV光引发丙烯酰胺 水 煤油 Span80 +OP 10反相乳液聚合可在 2 0min左右完成 ,所得聚合物分子量达千万 ;聚合过程中不存在恒速期 ,扫描电镜未观察到聚合前后乳胶粒径有数量级的变化 ,表明聚合反应以单体液滴成核为主 .此外 ,考察了光引发剂类型及浓度、单体浓度、乳化剂用量、反应温度等对聚合反应的影响 ,结果表明不同光引发剂的引发活性为Irgacure 2 95 9>(ITX +EDAB) >BDK ,引发剂浓度增加 ,反应速度先增加而后降低 ,存在一最大值 ;单体浓度增加 ,反应速度加快 ,聚合物分子量提高 ;乳化剂用量增加 ,反应速度加快而分子量变化不明显 ;聚合表观活化能为 13 34kJ mol.     

Graft polymerization of vinyl monomers onto nanosized alumina particles

To enhance the interfacial interaction in alumina nanoparticles filled polymer composites, an effective surface modification method was developed by grafting polystyrene and polyacrylamide onto the particles. That is, the alumina surface was firstly treated with silane, followed by radical grafting polymerization in aqueous or non-aqueous systems. Results of infrared spectroscopy and dispersiveness in solvents demonstrated that the desired polymer chains have been covalently bonded to the surface of the alumina particles. They also greatly changed their surface characteristics. In addition, effects of polymerization conditions, including ways of monomer feeding, concentrations of monomer and initiator, and reaction time, on the grafting reaction were presented. It was found that the growing polymer radicals and/or the grafted polymer chains had a blocking effect on the diffusion of radicals or monomers towards the surface of nanoalumina. This was due to the fact that the interaction between the solvent and the grafted polymers was weaker than that between the grafted polymers and the nanoparticles.     

The kinetics of the polymerization of methyl methacrylate initiated by t-butylmagnesium bromide in THF,toluene or mixed solvent

The kinetics of the solution polymerization of methyl methacrylate in THF, toluene and their mixtures were studied between 200 and 300 K using dilatometry (in the systems where it was valid), gravimetric determination and monitoring monomer and polymer concentrations by NMR spectrometry. The reaction followed zero order kinetics at 200 K, first order kinetics at 275 K and mixed order in between. At both the limits and intermediate range, the reaction followed an integrated rate equation consistent with terminationless propagation proceeding through a complex between monomer and the propagating species. Above 275 K, termination and side reactions were evident and the yields of high mol. wt polymer were small. Density-temperature calibrations for monomer in THF, toluene and mixtures were constructed for the range 190–283 K. However for polymerizations in toluene-rich mixtures, where very high mol. wt polymer forms, the contraction did not correlate linearly with conversion.