KINETICS OF POLYMERIZATION OF METHYL METHACRYLATE INITIATED BY COPPER POLYPROPYLENE-BASED POLYAMIDOXIME-SODIUM SULFITE SYSTEM*

 The aqueous polymerization of methyl methacrylate initiated by copper polypropylene-based polyamidoxime (PPAO-Cu) -sodium sulfite system was investigated. The overall rate of polymerization (R_p) is R_p=9.7 x 10¹² e^-21.200/RT [MMA]^O.88[Na₂ SO₃]^0.50 The length of the induction period (τ) is inversely proportional to the concentration of sodium sultite and independent of the amount of polymer supported copper and the concentration of monomer. It could be expressed as follows:1/τ =1.2x10¹²e^-15,600/RT[Na₂SO₃]=K_τR_i The polymerization is initiated by a primary radical generated from the redox reaction rather than induced by "coordination-proton transfer"mechanism.