Kinetics of radical polymerization—XLIV. Kinetic investigation of the polymerization of methyl methacrylate in viscous medium

This paper deals with the homopolymerization of the system MMA-AIBN-DBF at 50°. The dependences of initiation and overall rates of the polymerization on the concentrations of monomer and the viscous solvent were studied. The absolute rate constants for chain propagation and termination were determined. The termination rate constant of the system MMA-DBP was found to be inversely proportional to the viscosity of the medium.     

Kinetics of copolymerization—I. Kinetic investigation of the polymerization of acrylonitrile in homogeneous phase

A detailed study was made of the kinetics of initiated homopolymerization of acrylonitrile in dimethylformamide and dimethylsulphoxide at 40–60°. The rate of polymerization was found to be proportional to the (initiator concentration)^1/2. The rate of initiation of polymerization was determined by the inhibition method, using three stable free radicals. Trends in the average rate of polymerization were also studied for various initial monomer and solvent concentrations. The overall rate constant (K) was strongly dependent on monomer concentration decreasing with decrease of monomer concentration. It has been shown that the hot radical theory describes accurately, without physical contradiction, the solvent dependence of rate constants of polymerization systems.     

Polymerization kinetics in highly viscous media

The influence of the viscosity of the reaction medium on the rate of polymerization of styrene has been examined by adding different amounts of inert polystyrene to pure monomer and its solutions in benzene. Azobisisobutyronitrile was decomposed photochemically (λ = 365 mμ) at 25°C. or thermally at 70°C.; its rate of decomposition was followed by ultraviolet spectrometry. The rate of formation of dimethyl-N-cyanoisopropylketenimine (DKI) was followed by infrared spectrometry (2020 cm.^?1). The initiation efficiency was determined by the scintillation method with the use of a ¹⁴Clabeled initiator. The rate of polymerization was followed dilatometrically. An increase of viscosity does not affect the rate of decomposition of the initiator; on the contrary, during the photochemical decomposition, it causes an increase of DKI concentration and an appreciable decrease of efficiency (from 0.51 to 0.30). From the point of view of the rate of photopolymerization, an increase of viscosity causes a decrease in the order of the reaction with respect to the initiator (from 0.5 to 0.3) and an increase with respect to monomer from 1.5 to 2. These results are interpreted on the basis of a decrease of termination rate constant between two growing chains in favor of a termination reaction between a growing chain and a primary radical. These effects, due to an increase of the viscosity of the solution, on the initiation and termination reactions influence the rate of polymerization in opposite direction and compensate each other to approximatively 25%.     

Gamma radiation-initiated polymerization of styrene at high pressure. II. Chain termination

The pressure dependence of the termination rate constant k_t for the free radical polymerization of monomers such as styrene is a function of polymer chain length, chain stiffness, and monomer viscosity, all of which influence the rate of segmental diffusion of an active radical chain end out of the coiled polymer chain to a position in which it can react with a proximate radical. Although k_t is not sensitive to changes in chain length, the large increase in molecular weight is responsible for a significant reduction in k_t at high pressures. For most of the common vinyl polymers, which exhibit some degree of chain stiffness, k_t is inversely proportional to a fractional power of the monomer viscosity because it depends in part on the resistance of chain segments to movement and in part on the influence of viscosity in controlling diffusion of the chain ends. The fractional exponent appears to increase with pressure and this is interpreted as evidence that the polymer chains become more flexible in a more viscous solvent. Because the fractional exponent is higher for more flexible chains, the value of the activation volume for chain termination is an indication of the degree of flexibility of the polymer chains, provided that the monomer is a good solvent for the polymer and that chain transfer is negligible.     

Polymerization of diethylene glycol bis(allyl carbonate) by means of di-sec-butyl peroxydicarbonate

The initial stages of the free radical polymerization of diethylene glycol bis(allyl carbonate) at temperatures of 35–65°C have been studied. The polymer is unsaturated and cyclization to give a 16-membered ring occurs only to a small extent. The kinetic order with respect to the initiator, di-sec-butyl peroxydicarbonate, has an average value of 0.79; the order increases slightly with peroxydicarbonate concentration over the range 0.018–0.22M. The molecular weight of the polymer isolated after 3% polymerization is close to 19,000. It shows no significant dependence on initiator concentration or on temperature. The dominant feature of the bulk polymerization, as in free radical polymerization of the other allyl and diallyl monomers, is degradative chain transfer in which the growing polymer radical abstracts a hydrogen atom from a monomer unit to give a relatively unreactive allylic radical. The dependence of rate on initiator concentration is rationalized if some of these allylic radicals are able to reinitiate polymerization. The transfer constant to monomer is 0.014 at 50°C, assuming that the main termination step involves mutual termination of allylic radicals. Carbon tetrachloride is an active transfer agent with a transfer constant of 0.20 ± 0.04 at 50°C. Toluene, which is less active, has a transfer constant of 0.0064 at 50°C and also retards the polymerization. Some kinetic studies have been made with other initiators, including di-2-methyl-pentanoyl peroxide which initiates polymerization at temperatures as low as 13°C.     

Photopolymerization of methylmethacrylate using triethylamine-benzoylperoxide redox initiator system

Photopolymerization of MMA was studied kinetically at 35° using TEA-BZ₂O₂ redox system as initiator. The initiator exponent is 0.34 but the monomer exponent depends on the solvent. Solvents (acetonitrile, pyridine and bromobenzene) giving negative or fractional monomer exponent show a rate enhancing effect through actively influencing the initiation step; benzene and chloroform give first order dependence of rate on [monomer] and behave as normal (inert) diluents. Initiation of polymerization takes place through radicals generated by photodecomposition of TEA-BZ₂O₂ complex formed in situ, the radical generation step being solvent or monomer dependent. Kinetic non-idealities are interpreted in terms of significant initiator dependent termination via degradative chain transfer.     

Use of an Internal Keto-Imino Compound as the Photoinitiator in the Polymerization of Methyl Methacrylate

Photopolymerization of MMA in visible light was studied at 40°C using acridone as the photoinitiator. The polymerization was found to proceed via a free radical mechanism and the radical generation process was considered to follow an initial complexation reaction between monomer and acridone. Kinetic data indicated a lower order dependence of R_p on the initiator concentration (initiator exponent < 0.5). Initiator-dependent chain termination was significant along with the usual bimolecular mode of chain termination. The monomer exponent varied from about 1.0 to 1.5, depending on the nature of the solvent used. The nonidealities in this case were also analyzed.     

Analysis of polymerization rates in radical polymerization with primary radical termination of methyl methacrylate initiated by 2,2′-azobis(2,4-dimethyl valeronitrile)

Polymerization rates in radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate initiated by 2,2′-azobis(2,4-dimethyl valeronitrile) under various conditions were analyzed by using a previously derived simple equation. The results obtained are discussed on the basis of the relation of solvent viscosity and temperature. It is concluded that chain termination rate constant is inversely proportional to the solvent viscosity, but primary radical termination rate constant can not be related immediately to solvent viscosity.     

Effect of primary radical termination on chain length and initiator efficiency

In polymerization with primary radical termination, when reaction between primary radicals, which escape from solvent cage, is not negligible, a relation between chain length and polymerization rate is found regardless of tractable approximate procedures. Such a relation is applied to the kinetic data obtained in the polymerizations of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and vinyl acetate (VA) initiated by 2,2′-azobis(2,4-valeronitrile) at 50.0°C. Further, when the primary radical termination is high, an initiator efficiency can not be approximated to a ratio of the primary radicals escaping from the cage to the total primary radicals formed in the cage. In the polymerization of MMA, after the primary radicals escapes from the cage, they immediately react with the monomer. Thus, the reaction between the primary radicals is not significant. However, in the polymerization of VA, the rate of reaction between the primary radical and the monomer might be comparable to the rate of reaction between the primary radicals when the initiator concentration is quite high.     

Studies on the kinetics of ceric–thiourea-initiated aqueous polymerization of methyl methacrylate. I. Mechanistic features in moderately acid solution

The kinetics of the aqueous polymerization of methyl methacrylate by a ceric-thiourea initiator system in moderately acid solution (pH 2.15) was studied. The rate of polymerization was proportional to 0.41 power of ceric concentration, 0.32 power of thiourea concentration, and 1.18 power of monomer concentration. The degree of polymerization was smaller than expected from the rate of polymerization. Initiation efficiency was less than one. There was no evidence of any ceric ion termination in the concentration range of 2.50 × 10^?4–2.00 × 10^?3M studied. The results are explained in terms of partial primary radical termination; the principal mode of termination, however, was bimolecular.     

Modeling of molecular weight development in atom transfer radical polymerization

A kinetic model has been developed for atom transfer radical polymerization processes using the method of moments. This model predicts monomer conversion, number‐average molecular weight and polydispersity of molecular weight distribution. It takes into account the effects of side reactions including bimolecular radical termination and chain transfers. The determining parameters include the ratios of the initiator, catalyst and monomer concentrations, as well as the ratios of the rate constants of propagation, termination, transfer and the equilibrium constant between radicals and their dormant species. The effects of these parameters on polymer chain properties are systematically simulated. The results show that an ideal living radical polymerization exhibiting a linear relationship between number‐average molecular weight versus conversion and polydispersity approaching unity is only achievable under the limiting condition of slow monomer propagation and free of radical termination and transfers. Improving polymerization rate usually accompanies a loss of this linearity and small polydispersity. For polymerization systems having a slow initiation, the dormant species exercise a retention effect on chain growing and tend to narrow the molecular weight distribution. Increasing catalyst concentration accelerates the initiation rate and thus decreases the polydispersities. It is also shown that for a slow initiation system, delaying monomer addition helps to reduce the polydispersities. Radical termination and transfers not only slow down the monomer conversion rates but also broaden polymer molecular weight distributions. Under the limiting conditions of fast propagation and termination and slow initiation, the model predicts the conventional free radical polymerization behaviors.     

Evaluation of polymerization rate by chain length dependence on polymer–polymer termination and primary radical termination in radical polymerization

In order to analyze the polymerization rate at high initiation rate and/or low monomer concentration, the rate equations are derived by a rate formulated previously for polymer–polymer termination and another rate for primary radical termination, which is formulated here (both rates depend on chain length of polymer radical). Such equations would be applicable to the kinetic data in the polymerizations of styrene and methyl methacrylate. This shows that the assumption that both rates are independent of chain length overestimates the rate of primary radical termination.     

Kinetics of the Photopolymerization of Vinyl Monomers by Bis(Isopropylxanthogen) Disulfide. Design of Block Copolymers

Bis(isopropylxanthogen) disulfide (BX) has been used as a photoinitiator with various vinyl monomers at 30°C. The kinetics of polymerization of styrene (St) and methyl methacrylate (MMA) at 30°C were studied for various concentrations of monomer and initiator. The observed deviations in polymerization rate from simple kinetic theory could be explained in terms of primary radical termination. The fraction of primary radical terminating chains was obtained as a function of various concentrations. The ratio of the rate constants for chain initiation and chain termination by a primary radical was determined to be 3.34 ± 10⁷ for St and 2.60 ± 10⁷ for MMA. The number-average degree of polymerization (DP _n) of polymers obtained by photopolym-erization with BX was found to increase linearly with conversion. However, the DP _n extrapolated to zero conversion was in good agreement with that calculated on the basis of the kinetic scheme. It was found that BX had interesting properties for the design of block copolymers, i.e., BX acts as a terminator and a chain transfer agent as well as an initiator in these polymerizations. The polymers obtained with BX contained two reactive isopropyl xanthate groups bonded at their chain ends, which could also act as macrophotoinitiators.     

Vinyl polymerization initiated by ceric ion reducing agent systems in sulfuric acid medium

Polymerization of the monomers, methyl acrylate (MA) and methyl methacrylate (MMA) was carried out in sulfuric acid medium at 15°C. With the redox initiator system, ceric ammonium sulfate–malonic acid. There was no induction period, and a steady state was attained in a short time. There was found to be no polymerization even after 1 hr. in the absence of the reducing agent R. The initiation was by the radical produced from the Ce⁴⁺–malonic acid reaction. The rate of monomer disappearance was proportional to [M]^1.5, [R]^0.5, and [Ce⁴⁺]^0.3–0.5, and the rate of ceric disappearance was directly proportional to [R] and [Ce⁴⁺]. Chain lengths of the polymers were directly proportional to [M] and inversely to [R]^1/2 and [Ce⁴⁺]^1/2. The experimental results were explained by a kinetic scheme involving the following steps: (a) oxidation of the substrate to give the primary radical which reacts with Ce⁴⁺ to give the products, (b) initiation by the primary radical, (c) propagation, and (d) termination of the growing polymer radicals by the mutual type. For the polymerization of acrylonitrile (AN) by the redox system, ceric ammonium sulfate–cyclohexanone (CH), in sulfuric acid at 15°C., the scheme was modified to include linear type of termination by Ce⁴⁺, along with the mutual termination to explain the results especially under conditions with [Ce⁴⁺] ≥ [CH].     

Kinetics of photopolymerization of acrylamide initiated by copper (II)–bis(amino acid) chelates in aqueous solution. II

The kinetics of photopolymerization reactions of acrylamide initiated by copper (II)–bis(amino acid) chelates with amino acids glutamic acid, serine, or valine were studied at 30°C. The extent of monomer conversion increases with increased initiator concentration and falls off after reaching a maximum. Analysis of the results shows that for lower concentrations of the initiator, the rate of monomer disappearance is proportional to light absorption fraction f[monomer] and the square root of the intensity. At higher concentrations of the initiator, the rate of monomer disappearance is proportional to F_ε/[initiator]^1/2; the monomer exponent is 1.5 and the intensity exponent 0.5. Mutual termination of the radicals is proposed at lower concentrations of the initiator; at higher concentrations of the initiator termination of the initiator radical by the copper (II) complex along with mutual termination occurs. The initiator radical species is identified from flash photolysis studies of these complexes as the Cu(I)-coordinated radical. The effect of pH on the monomer conversion is explained. The data indicate a free-radical mechanism of polymerization and a reaction scheme is proposed for the polymerization reactions.     

Kinetics of copolymerization—II. Kinetic investigation of the polymerization of methyl acrylate in solution

The kinetics of methyl acrylate polymerization initiated by azobisisobutyronitrile were investigated in dimethylformamide at 40–60. The polymerization was 1/2 order with respect to initiator; the rate of initiation was independent of the initial concentration of monomer. The rate and the overall rate constant of polymerization strongly depend on the medium: the overall rate constant decreases with increase of solvent concentration. The solvent dependence of overall rate constant can adequately be described by the hot radical theory.     

Cyclopolymerization of diallylcyanamide

A soluble polymer of cyclic structure has been obtained by radical polymerization of diallyleyanamide. A kinetic analysis of the polymerization indicated that the overall rate of the system is first-order with respect to concentration of initiator and either first- or second-order with respect to monomer concentration, depending on the solvent used. The molecular weight of the polymer is independent of the concentration of the initiator and the monomer. The intramolecular abstraction of hydrogen is proposed as a termination reaction.     

Effect of triphenyl phosphite on the radical polymerization of styrene and methyl methacrylate

The effects of triphenyl phosphite (TPP) on the radical polymerization of styrene (St) and methyl methacrylate (MMA) initiated with α,α,-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) was investigated at 50°C. The rate of polymerization of St and MMA at a constant concentration of TPP was found to be proportional to the monomer concentration and the square root of the initiator concentration. The rate of polymerization and the degree of polymerization of both St and MMA increased with increasing TPP concentration. The accelerating effect was shown to be due to the decrease of the termination rate constant k_t with an increase in the viscosity of the polymerization systems. The chain transfer constant C_tr of TPP in St and MMA systems was determined from the degree of polymerization system. The C_tr of TPP was almost zero in the St system and 6.5 × 10^?5 in the MMA system.     

Kinetic Investigation on the Photopolymerization of Methyl Methacrylate Using Iodine Trichloride as Initiator

The photopolymerization of MMA in visible light was studied at 45°C using IC1₃ as the photoinitiator. The initiator exponent was found to be 0.16 and the monomer exponent varied between 1.0 to 1.50, depending on the nature of the solvent. Analysis of the data revealed that the polymerization was induced by a free radical mechanism. Nonideality of the kinetics was explained on the basis of 1) Monomer-dependent chain initiation and 2) Initiator-dependent chain termination via degradative initiator transfer.     

Relationship between radical polymerization rate and initiator concentration in various solvents

Methyl methacrylate and styrene were polymerized by using 2,2′-azobis(2,4-dimethyl valeronitrile) as initiator in various solvents. When a poor solvent is used, the dependence of polymerization rate R_p on initiator concentration [C] is small and can be treated by equations for the analysis of the polymerization with primary radical termination. With a good solvent, the dependence of R_p on [C] is so large that such equations are not applicable. Thus, the [C] dependence in a good solvent is explained qualitatively through the molecular weight dependence of rate for termination between polymer radicals, based on the excluded volume effect.