Effect of alcohols on the gamma-radiation-induced polymerization of ethylene

Gamma-radiation-induced polymerization of ethylene in alcohols such as methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl, isobutyl, sec-butyl, tert-butyl, and n-pentyl alcohols was carried out under a pressure of 400 kg./cm.²at 30°C. at a dose rate of 1.4 × 10⁵ rad/hr. in a batch reactor of 100 ml. capacity. The yield and molecular weight of polymer formed in the alcohols (except tert-butyl alcohol) were much lower than those of the bulk polymerization under the same conditions, whereas the addition of tert-butyl alcohol increased the yield and reduced the molecular weight. From the infrared spectra of the polymers and those of the bromination products it was concluded that only primary OH exists in the polymer formed in methyl alcohol and that both primary and secondary OH are in the polymer formed in other primary alcohols. Both secondary and tertiary OH were observed in the polymer when the secondary alcohols were used, and only tertiary OH in the case of tert-butyl alcohol. These polymers were found to contain small amounts of vinylidene unsaturation and methyl group. On the basis of these results the roles of the alcohols in the polymerization are discussed.     

Kinetics of the gamma-radiation-induced polymerization of ethylene in tert-butyl alcohol

The gamma-radiation-induced polymerization of ethylene in the presence of 13–30 ml of tert-butyl alcohol was carried out under a pressure of 120–400 kg/cm² at a dose rate of 1 × 10³ to 2.5 × 10⁴ rad/hr at 30°C with a 100 ml reactor. The polymerization rate and the molecular weight of the polymer increased with reaction time and pressure and decreased with amount of tert-butyl alcohol. The polymer yield increased almost proportionally with the dose rate, while the molecular weight was almost independent of it. These results were graphically evaluated, and the rate constants of initiation, propagation, and termination for various conditions were determined. No transfer was observed. On the basis of these results the role of tert-butyl alcohol in the polymerization is discussed.     

Radiation-induced heterogeneous polymerization of ethylene in the presence of ethyl alcohol

The radiation-induced heterogeneous polymerization of ethylene in ethyl alcohol was carried out in a reactor with a capacity of 100 ml under the following reaction conditions: temperature, 24 ± 3°C; pressure, 200–400 kg/cm²; amount of ethyl alcohol, 30–70 ml; dose rate, 3.7 × 10⁴?1.05 × 10⁵ rad hr. The effects of amount of ethyl alcohol, pressure, and dose rate on the rate of polymerization at the steady state, the amount of polymerized monomer, the molecular weight of polymer, and the number of polymer chains were studied compared with the results obtained in the polymerization in tert-butyl alcohol. It was found that there is an acceleration period in the early stage of reaction followed by a steady state. The rate of polymerization was maximum when about 50 ml of ethyl alcohol was used. The molecular weight of polymer increased with a decrease in the amount of ethyl alcohol. The dependences of pressure (p) and dose rate (I) on the rate of polymerization at steady state (R_s) and the molecular weight of polymer (M?_n) were expressed as follows; R_s ∝ p^0.74, M?_n ∝ p^0.3?0.4, R_s ∝ I^0.9 and M?_n ∝ I^{?0.1 ?0.0}. The results were analyzed by a kinetic treatment based on a reaction mechanism containing both first-and second-order terminations. The rate constant of first-order termination by radical occlusion was considerably larger than that in the polymerization in tert-butyl alcohol, because the affinity of ethyl alcohol for polyethylene is smaller than that of tert-butyl alcohol. It was found that chain transfer to ethyl alcohol takes place easily and the G value of ethyl alcohol for initiation is larger than 1.5.     

A novel scheme of heterogeneous polymerization of ethylene

The heterogeneous polymerization of ethylene initiated by radiation in tert-butyl alcohol was studied. The polymerization was carried out in a 100-ml reactor at 25–100°C and pressures of 200–300 kg/cm² in the presence of 50 ml of tert-butyl alcohol containing 7 wt-% water. The amounts of polymerized monomer, the average molecular weight of polymer formed, and the molecular weight distribution of polymer were measured at various stages of reaction and at various temperatures. The molecular weight distribution was found to be very much dependent on the reaction time and temperature. For the polymer formed at 50–60°C in the very early stages of reaction, the molecular weight distribution is unimodal, and in the intermediate stage a shoulder appears at a molecular weight higher than the first peak which increases as the polymerization proceeds; eventually a bimodal curve is formed. The bimodal distribution curves were analyzed to determine the fractions and average molecular weights of the each peak. On the basis of these data for the molecular weight distribution and kinetic behavior, a new scheme for the heterogeneous polymerization is proposed which indicates that the polymerization proceeds via propagating radicals in two different physical states, namely, loose and rigid states.     

Effect of temperature on the radiation-induced polymerization of ethylene in various media

The effects of temperature on the radiation-induced polymerization of ethylene in bulk and in the presence of ethyl alcohol, n-butyl alcohol, tert-butyl alcohol, cyclohexane, 2,2,4-trimethylpentane, and 2,2,5-trimethylhexane were studied. The changes of the amounts of polymerized monomer with the reaction temperature were different from each other in these reaction systems, especially in the range lower than 60–80°C. At temperatures lower than 60–80°C, as the reaction temperature increases, the amount of polymerized monomer decreased in bulk and in the presence of tert-butyl alcohol. The amount was almost constant in the presence of ethyl alcohol and 2,2,4-trimethylpentane, and it increased in the presence of n-butyl alcohol, cyclohexane, and 2,2,5-trimethylhexane. However, in the temperature range higher than 60–80°C, the amount of polymerized monomer increased with increasing temperature in every reaction system except for bulk polymerization. The molecular weight of polymer decreased with increasing temperature in every reaction system except at temperatures lower than 25°C. The molecular weight of polymer formed in bulk, in tert-butyl alcohol, and also in 2,2,4-trimethylpentane were relatively higher than that in other reaction systems. A bimodal molecular weight distribution was observed for the polymer formed in bulk and in tert-butyl alcohol at 40–60°C. These results are discussed in connection with the heterogeneity of the reaction system. The differences due to temperature in each reaction system are explained as due to the difference in affinity of the reaction system for the propagating chain and in the facility of chain transfer to the medium.     

Radiation-induced heterogeneous polymerization of methyl methacrylate in precipitants

The radiation-induced heterogeneous polymerization of methyl methacrylate in various precipitants, mainly methyl alcohol, was carried out, and the effects of reaction conditions on the polymerization behavior and the molecular weight distribution of polymer were studied. Bimodal molecular weight distributions were found for the polymer produced by the heterogeneous polymerizations in methyl alcohol and in tert-butyl alcohol. The apparent activation energy is 1.0 and 4.5 kcal/mole, respectively, for the polymerization at a monomer concentration of 10 vol-% in methyl alcohol above and below 35°C. The polymerization at a monomer concentration lower than 40 vol-% in methyl alcohol proceeded with the precipitation of polymer. The dose rate exponent of the mean rate of heterogeneous polymerization decreased from 0.5 to a smaller value as the polymerization progressed. The ratio of the two peaks in the bimodal molecular weight distributions of polymer produced in methyl alcohol was affected by the reaction conditions. These results show the coexistence in the polymerizations of two different physical states of propagating chain, a loose state and a rigid one. The reaction scheme is discussed in connection with the physical factors which affect the solubility or the mobility of propagating chains, and the rate of elementary reactions, which influences the degree of propagating chains.     

Effect of dose rate on the radiation-induced polymerization of ethylene in tert-butyl alcohol

The dependence of the dose rate on the rate of radiation-induced polymerization of ethylene in tert-butyl alcohol containing 5 vol-% water was studied. The reaction was carried out by use of a reactor with a capacity of 100 ml under the following conditions: pressure, 200 kg/cm²; temperature, 24 ± 3°C; dose rate, 3.7 × 10⁴?1.6 × 10⁵ rad/hr; amount of medium, 70 ml. The dose rate exponents for rate of the polymerization, the molecular weight, and the number of polymer chain were found to be about 0.8, ?0.1, and 0.9, respectively. These results were well explained with kinetic results (obtained by a novel analytical method) for the polymerization which contain both first-order and second-order terminations for the concentrations of propagating radical. The individual values of the rate constants in each elementary reaction were also obtained.     

The morphology of polyethylene prepared by γ-ray-induced polymerization in various solvents

Polyethylenes were prepared by γ-ray-induced polymerization in ethyl and n-butyl alcohols, tert-butyl alcohol containing 5 vol-% of water, 2,2,5-trimethylhexane, 2,2,4-trimethylpentane, and cyclohexane in the temperature range 25–90°C. The morphology of the polymers as-polymerized and studied by electron microscopy depends on three factors through the degree of undercooling: the affinity of the solvent, polymerization temperature, and the polymer molecular weight. Large lamellar crystals are formed even in the alcohols when at least two of them are chosen properly.     

Monomer-isomerization radical polymerization of di-tert-butyl maleate and preparation of poly(fumaric acid) via pyrolysis

Di-tert-butyl maleate (DtBM) did not polymerize with 2,2′-azobis(isobutyronitrile) as a radical initiator, but DtBM easily homopolymerized via a monomer-isomerization radical polymerization mechanism to give a high molecular weight polymer when morpholine was added into the polymerization system as an isomerization catalyst. The feature of the monomer-isomerization polymerization of DtBM was investigated in detail. The polymer obtained was confirmed to consist of a poly(tert-butoxycarbonylmethylene) structure similar to that from di-tert-butyl fumarate. Subsequent pyrolysis of the resulting polymer at 180°C is a useful route to synthesis of a high molecular weight poly(fumaric acid). © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Photo-controlled/living radical polymerization of tert-butyl methacrylate in the presence of a photo-acid generator using a nitroxide mediator

The photo-controlled/living radical polymerization of tert-butyl methacrylate was performed using a (2RS,2′RS)-azobis(4-methoxy-2,4-dimethylvaleronitrile) initiator and a 4-methoxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (MTEMPO) mediator in the presence of a (4-tert-butylphenyl)diphenylsulfonium triflate photo-acid generator. The bulk polymerization was carried out at 25 °C by irradiation with a high-pressure mercury lamp. Whereas the polymerization in the absence of MTEMPO produced a broad molecular weight distribution, the MTEMPO-mediated polymerization provided a polymer with a comparatively narrow molecular weight distribution around 1.4 without elimination of the tert-butyl groups. The living nature of the polymerization was confirmed on the basis of the linear correlations for the first-order time–conversion plots and conversion–molecular weight plots in the range below 50% conversion. The block copolymerization with methyl methacrylate also supported the livingness of the polymerization based on no deactivation of the prepolymer.     

Synthesis of tert-butyl-substituted poly (ether ketone) by nickel-catalyzed coupling polymerization of aromatic dichloride

tert-Butyl substituted poly (aryl ether ketone)s with relatively high molecular weights were prepared by the Ni-catalyzed polymerization of tert-butyl substituted aromatic dichlorides containing ether ketone unit. These polymers were amorphous and soluble in common organic solvents, such as THF, dichloromethane, and chloroform. De-tert-butylation of the polymer by the treatment of trifluoromethanesulfonic acid in the presence of toluene proceeded smoothly and produced crystalline poly (aryl ether ketone). © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Radical polymerization of isopropyl tert-butyl fumarate and maleate,and characterization of the resulting polymers

Radical polymerization of isopropyl tert-butyl fumarate (iPtBF) and monomer-isomerization radical polymerization of isopropyl tert-butyl maleate (iPtBM) were investigated with 2,2′-azobisisobutyronitrile as initiator in the presence and absence of morpholine (Mor) as isomerization catalyst. It was found that iPtBF gave high molecular weight polymers in high yield as previously observed for diisopropyl fumarate (DiPF) and di-tert-butyl fumarate (DtBF). It was confirmed that iPtBF produced by in situ monomer isomerization of iPtBM homopolymerized to give a polymer. Radical copolymerization of iPtBM with styrene in the presence and absence of Mor was also performed and monomer reactivity ratios obtained were compared. From the kinetic study of the isomerization of iPtBM, it was revealed that the isomerization rate showed first-order dependence on the concentration of iPtBM and Mor, and that the apparent activation energy was 29.4 kJ/mol. On pyrolysis of the poly(iPtBF) at 180°C, isobutene and isopropanol were eliminated rapidly to yield polymer containing carboxyl groups and anhydrides. The pyrolytic behavior was different from that of a copolymer of DiPF with DtBF.     

Metallo esters. VII. Stabilizing effect of sodium tert-butoxide on the growth center in the anionic polymerization of methacrylic esters

The growth center in the anionic polymerization of methacrylic esters is stabilized with alkaline alkoxides, sodium tert-butoxide in particular. The lifetime of the growth center was investigated in the polymerization of methyl methacrylate by evaluating yield and molecular weight distribution of the polymer formed when the monomer was added in two doses. The average lifetime of the original growth center stabilized by sodium tert-butoxide at 20°C under the given conditions was longer than several minutes. The stabilization of the growth center was also used in the stepwise copolymerization of n-butyl methacrylate and methyl methacrylate. The copolymer thus obtained in high yield was characterized as a block copolymer on the basis of its solubility, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra, and measurements of the complex shear modulus.     

Syndiospecific living polymerization of 4-methylstyrene with (trimethyl)pentamethylcyclopentadienyltitanium/tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane/trioctylaluminium catalytic system

The polymerization of 4-methylstyrene with the (trimethyl)pentamethylcyclopentadienyltitanium (Cp*TiMe₃)/tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane (B(C₆F₅)₃)/trioctylaluminium (AlOct₃) catalytic system at –20°C was carried out. The number-average molecular weight (M_n) of the polymers increased linearly with increasing monomer conversion. The propagating chain ends were successfully reacted with tert-butyl isocyanate, and the M_n of the polymer determined by ¹H NMR was in good agreement with the M_n determined by GPC measurement. It is concluded that this catalytic system promoted the syndiospecific living polymerization of 4-methylstyrene.     

Synthesis and characterization of highly soluble aromatic polyimides

Two highly soluble aromatic polyimides were synthesized successfully from a diamine with two tert-butyl groups （MBTBA）and dianhydrides with a thioether or sulfone moiety（DTDA and DSDA）.Both of them showed excellent solubility in common solvents such as chloroform,tetrahydrofuran and dioxane at the room temperature.The number-average molecular weight was 6.0×10⁴ and 8.3×10⁴ according to gel permeation chromatography relative to a polystyrene standard,and the polydispersity index was 1.80 and 1.82 respectively.The glass-transition temperatures of them were 286℃and 314℃（or 315℃and 358℃）respectively,as measured by differential scanning calorimetry（or dynamic mechanical analysis）.The 5%weight loss temperature of both was near 490℃in N₂ by thermogravimetric analysis.These results indicated that the tert-butyl pendent groups reduced the interactions among polymer chains and the thioether or sulfone moiety was flexible which may improve their solubility in conventional organic solvents without the loss of thermal stability. Transparent and flexible films of the two polyimides were obtained via solution casting.The MBTBA-DTDA membrane had higher storage moduli than those of the MBTBA-DSDA membrane.     

Effect of pressure on the radiation-induced polymerization of ethylene in tert-butyl alcohol

The effects of pressure of the radiation-induced polymerization of ethylene in tert-butyl alcohol were studied. The reaction was carried out by use of a reactor with a capacity of 100 ml under the following conditions; pressure, 60–400 kg/cm²; temperature, 24 ± 3°C; dose rate, 2.0 × 10⁴?1.6 × 10⁵ rad/hr; amount of medium (tert-butyl alcohol containing 5 vol-% water), 70 ml. The results of polymerization were analyzed by a kinetical treatment based on a reaction mechanism with both first- and second-order terminations for the concentration of propagating, radical. On the basis of the kinetical treatment the rate constants of each elementary reaction at several pressures were determined, and the activation volumes of elementary reactions were obtained and are discussed in connection with the reaction mechanism. Consequently, the rate constants of propagation, first-order termination, and second-order termination at pressure p and at 24°C were expressed by,      

Radiation-induced emulsion polymerization of ethylene. IV. Effect of pressure,temperature, and additives on rate in connection with number of polymer particles

The effects of pressure, temperature, and additives on the rate of radiation-induced emulsion polymerization of ethylene with FC-143 as emulsifier were studied kinetically. The rate of polymerization was proportional to the 2.5 power of ethylene fugacity, and the apparent rate constant (rate of polymerization/2.5 power of ethylene fugacity) was constant below 78°C. Above this temperature, the rate constant decreased with an apparent activation energy of ?8.2 kcal/mole. These facts can be interpreted in connection with the polymer structure and the change of rate of escape of radicals from the polymer structure and the change of rate of escape of radicals from the polymer particle into the aqueous phase. The rate of polymerization decreased on addition of a series of n-aliphatic alcohols due to the chain-transfer reaction and consequent escape of radicals to the aqueous phase. On the other hand, the addition of tert-butyl alcohol increased the rate of polymerization, probably because of its effect in increasing swelling of the polymer particles. Addition of electrolytes increased the rate of polymeriaztion as a result of the increase of the number of polymer particles.     

Polymerization of phenylacetylene by WCl6·Ph4Sn: Synthesis of high polymer achieved by selection of solvents

Phenylacetylene was polymerized by WCl₆·Ph₄Sn (1:1) in 1,4-dioxane to provide in high yield a polymer whose molecular weight reached 1 × 10⁵. The polymerization also proceeded in other oxygen-containing solvents (ethers, esters, and ketones) but the polymer molecular weights were lower than 1 × 10⁴. Certain hydrocarbon solvents such as cyclohexene, tetralin, and indan also afforded high-molecular-weight polyphenylacetylene [M _n = (5–8) × 10⁴], as compared with those (M _n ≤ 1.5 × 10⁴) obtained in conventional aromatic hydrocarbons like benzene. A high polymer (M _n = 1.6 × 10⁵) was also formed from β-naphthylacetylene in 1,4-dioxane. It was inferred that the active hydrogens of these solvents prevent the formed polymer from being decomposed by a radical mechanism and/or modify the nature of active species.     

Etherification of glycerol with tert-butyl alcohol catalysed by ion-exchange resins

The reaction of glycerol with tert-butyl alcohol in the liquid phase on acid Amberlyst-type ion-exchange resins was studied. The influence of temperature, mole ratio n(TBA)/n(G), water and swelling of gel, and macroreticular type of polymer catalysts on etherification reaction was investigated. The most favourable reaction temperature is 75°C. The conversion of glycerol and yield of glycerol tert-butyl ethers has increased with the mole ratio n(TBA)/n(G). Dry form of macroreticular catalysts provided the best results. Etherification reaction of glycerol with isobutylene in non-aqueous conditions gives the highest yield of desired ethers. The influence of water was studied. The gel forms of ion-exchange resins have very low catalytic activity. It can be concluded that water has an inhibition effect on ion-exchange resins. By comparing the gel and macroreticular forms of Amberlyst ion-exchange resins it can be concluded that very acid forms of macroreticular ion-exchange resins with a high degree of crosslinking are more active catalysts for the studied reaction due to their pores which are sufficiently large so that the voluminous tert-butyl ethers of glycerol can be formed. It was estimated that tert-butyl alcohol as tert-butylation agent is not suitable for etherification of glycerol with the formation of di-and triethers.     

Monoaryloxo ytterbium(III) chlorides supported by β‐diketiminato ligands as novel initiators for the living ring‐opening polymerization of ε‐caprolactone

Ring‐opening polymerization of ε‐caprolactone (ε‐CL) was carried out using β‐diketiminato‐supported monoaryloxo ytterbium chlorides L¹Yb(OAr)Cl(THF) (1) [L¹ = N,N′‐bis(2,6‐dimethylphenyl)‐2,4‐pentanediiminato, OAr = 2,6‐di‐tert‐butylphenoxo‐], and L²Yb(OAr′)Cl(THF) (2) [L² = N,N′‐bis(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)‐2,4‐pentanediiminato, OAr′ = 2,6‐di‐tert‐butyl‐4‐methylphenoxo‐], respectively, as single‐component initiator. The influence of reaction conditions, such as polymerization temperature, polymerization time, initiator, and initiator concentration, on the monomer conversion, molecular weight, and molecular weight distribution of the resulting polymers was investigated. Complex 1 was well characterized and its crystal structure was determined. Some features and kinetic behaviors of the CL polymerization initiated by these two complexes were studied. The polymerization rate is first order with respect to monomer. The M_n of the polymer increases linearly with the increase of the polymer yield, while polydispersity remained narrow and unchanged throughout the polymerization in a broad range of temperatures from 0 to 50 °C. The results indicated that the present system has a “living character”. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 1147–1152, 2006