Polymerization of vinyl chloride at reduced monomer accessibility. III. Polymerization kinetics and molecular structure using PVC latex as seed

Vinyl chloride was polymerized at 53–97% of the saturation pressure in a water-suspended system at 55°C with an emulsion PVC latex as seed. A water-soluble initiator was used in various concentrations. The monomer was continuously charged as vapor from a storage vessel kept at lower temperature. Characterization included determination of molecular weight distribution and degree of long-chain branching by gel chromatography and viscometry and by thermal dehydrochlorination. To avoid diffusion control intense agitation was necessary. At a certain conversion, aggregation of primary particles resulted in restricted polymerization rate. Before aggregation, formation of new particles did not occur as the number of particles was high enough to ensure capture of all oligoradicals. The kinetic equation accepted for ordinary emulsion polymerization of vinyl chloride was qualitatively found to be valid after the pressure drop as well. Decreased termination rate may result in increased polymerization rate at reduced monomer concentration, i.e., a gel effect, especially at low particle numbers and high polymer contents. The molecular weight decreased with decreasing monomer concentration. This is in accordance with the new mechanism suggested for chain transfer to monomer starting with occasional head-to-head additions.     

Polymerization of vinyl chloride in the presence of precipitants. II.

The kinetics of the radiation-induced polymerization of vinyl chloride in the presence of precipitants has been successfully described by a one-parameter equation as follows, where ?₀ is initial monomer volume fraction, X is conversion, t is time, and k is reaction constant. The equation was confirmed for extensive conditions of temperatures and monomer concentrations in the case of polymerization in methanol. The degree of polymerization was related with the reaction constant k, initial monomer volume fraction ?₀, monomer chain transfer constant C_m, conversion X, and the initiation rate I as follows, The factors which determine the value of the reaction constant k were elucidated through measurements of the reaction constant k and the degree of polymerization DP _n.     

Vinyl polymerization. 413. Polymerization of vinyl monomer initiated by poly(vinylbenzyltrimethyl)-ammonium chloride

The polymerization of vinyl monomer initiated by an aqueous solution of poly(vinylbenzyltrimethyl)ammonium chloride (Q-PVBACI) was carried out at 85°C. Styrene, p-chlorostyrene, methyl methacrylate, and i-butyl methacrylate were polymerized, whereas acrylonitrile and vinyl acetate were not. The effects of the amounts of vinyl monomer, Q-PVBACI, and water on the conversion of vinyl monomer were studied. The overall activation energy in the polymerization of styrene was estimated as 79.1 kJ mol^?1. The polymerization proceeded through a radical mechanism. The selectivity of vinyl monomer was discussed by “a concept of hard and soft hydrophobic areas and monomers.”     

Vinyl polymerization. 403. Polymerization of vinyl monomer initiated with sodium poly-p-vinylphenolate

The polymerization of vinyl monomer initiated by poly-p-vinylphenol (PVPh) in NaOH aqueous solution was carried out at 85°C with shaking. Methyl methacrylate (MMA) was polymerized, whereas styrene and acrylonitrile were not. PVPh, which is dissociated into phenolate form (PVPh^?Na⁺) in NaOH aqueous solution, was effective for the polymerization. The effects of the amounts of MMA, PVPh, NaOH, and H₂O on the conversion of MMA were studied. The rate of polymerization of MMA increased with an increase in the molecular weight of PVPh-Na. The overall activation energy was estimated as 54 kJ mol^?1. The polymerization proceeded through a radical mechanism. The addition of tetra-n-butylammonium bromide increased the rate of polymerization.     

Macromolecular models for branched PVC. I. Copolymer of vinyl chloride with isopropenyl chloride

A new type of model for study of polymer anomalies by copolymerization is proposed. For branched PVC, the vinyl chloride–isopropenyl chloride copolymer was used as the macromolecular model. A regulatory and inhibitory action of isopropenyl chloride during the polymerization was demonstrated. To determine the composition of the copolymer, methods based on elemental analysis and NMR and infrared spectra were utilized. It was found that the copolymer composition is very close to that of the polymerization mixture. The structure of the copolymer was studied from infrared spectra. It was found that both forms T_CHH and T_HHH are present, the former being present in a larger quantity. The possibility of the utilization of spectral methods on macromolecular systems to determine the structure and content of a chlorine atom bound to a tertiary carbon atom (Cl_T) in the presence of an excess of chlorine bound to a secondary carbon was verified.     

Vinyl polymerization. 416. Polymerization of vinyl monomer initiated by polyethyleneglycol

The polymerization of vinyl monomer initiated by polyethyleneglycol (PEG) in aqueous solution was carried out at 85°C with shaking. Acrylonitrile (AN), methyl methacrylate (MMA), and methacrylic acid were polymerized by PEG–300 (M?_n = 300), whereas styrene was not. The effects of the amounts of monomer and PEG, the molecular weight of PEG, and the hydrophobic group at the end of PEG molecule on the polymerization were studied. The selectivity of vinyl monomer and the effect of the hydrophobic group are discussed according to “the concept of hard and soft hydrophobic areas and monomers.” The kinetics of the polymerization was investigated. The overall activation energy in the polymerization of AN was estimated as 37.9 kJ mol^?1. The polymerization was effected by a radical mechanism.     

Polymerization of Vinyl Chloride at Reduced Monomer Accessibility. I. Polymerization at Subsaturation Pressure with Suspension PVC as a Seed

Vinyl chloride was polymerized at 40–96% of saturation pressure in water suspended systems at 55°C with suspension PVC as a seed. The monomer was continuously charged as vapor from a storage vessel kept at lower temperature. Characterization included molecular weight distribution (MWD) and degree of long-chain branching (LCB) by GPC and viscometry, thermal dehydrochlorination, microscopy, and technical standard tests. A granular seed was necessary to obtain granular polymer and reasonable polymerization rate. In properly seeded systems with monomer-soluble initiator, crust formation is very low. With monomer-soluble initiator the polymerization reactions are restricted to the seed polymer, comprise its total structure, reducing its porosity. At pressure near saturation, molecular weight increased with conversion, and autoacceleration occurred. The changes in molecular weight are presumably due to the lack of a liquid monomer phase, which reduces the mobility of the radicals leading to decreased termination. At decreasing polymerization pressure the mobility is further reduced due to de-swelling of the gel. At low pressure the polymerization rate decreased, the amount of low molecular weight material increased, and considerable long-chain branching occurred as a result of monomer depletion. With water-soluble initiator (at pressure near saturation), new tiny particles were formed in the water phase at the boundary to the seed particles. The seed structure remained unchanged. The polymer formed showed broad MWD and high LCB. No marked reduction in polymerization rate was observed. The dehydrochlorinatlon measurements indicate that the end groups and not the branch points are responsible for the decrease in thermal stability noticed.     

On suspension polymerization of vinyl chloride. Polymerization of vinyl chloride in the presence of epoxidized oil

A study has been made on the suspension polymerization of vinyl chloride in the presence of epoxidized cottonseed oil. Inclusion of the additive into the polymer chain was proved by i.r. spectrophotometry. The effects of epoxidized cottonseed oil on polymerization rate and K-value were slight, but plasticizer absorption by the polymer was reduced. Thermogravimetric curves of the product have been obtained, and show that epoxidized cottonseed oil improves the thermostability of the polymer.     

Polymerization of vinyl monomer with carbon disulfide–alkali metal complex

The reaction of carbon disulfide with one or two equivalents of alkali metal (potassium- or sodium) was carried out, and the deep red reaction mixture obtained only in diethylene glycol dimethyl ether. The polymerization of vinyl monomers with this reaction mixture was studied. The reaction mixtures of mono- and dialkali metal with carbon disulfide induced the polymerization of N-phenylmaleimide, methyl vinyl ketone, and acrylonitrile but did not induce the polymerization of methyl methacrylate and styrene. In the polymerization of acrylonitrile with this reaction mixture of carbon disulfide with monoalkali metal, the polymerization rate was found to be proportional to the initiator concentration and to the square of the monomer concentration. The activation energy was ?1.1 kcal/mole. Similar results were obtained in the case of carbon disulfide with dialkali metal. The polymer yield increased with increasing solvating power of solvents, i.e., diethylene glycol dimethyl ether, dimethyl sulfoxide, hexamethylphosphoramide, dimethylformamide, tetrahydrofuran. In the copolymerization of AN with MMA, the copolymer obtained consisted almost of AN units.     

Polymerization of vinyl chloride with organolithium compounds. V. Fractionation and solution properties of high molecular weight poly(vinyl chloride)

A sample of high molecular weight poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) was fractionated by classical precipitation fractionation and gel-permeation chromatography (GPC) on a preparative scale. The fractions thus obtained were characterized by light scattering, viscometry, and by the GPC method. The measured weight-average molecular weights M?_w, intrinsic viscosity [η], and polydispersity index M?_w/M?_n values were used for the determination of the Mark-Houwink equation, [η] = KM^a, for PVC in cyclohexanone (CHX) at 25°C valid for molecular weights from 100,000 to 625,000.     

A Density Functional Theory Study of Poly (vinyl chloride) (PVC) Free Radical Polymerization

Summary: Quantum chemistry was applied to the free radical polymerization of Vinyl Chloride with the aim of elucidating the reaction kinetics and especially the formation of structural defects and low molecular weight polymer. The radical reactions were studied using the Density Functional Theory. All calculations were performed with B3LYP functionals and in particular the 6-31G(d,p) basis set was selected to evaluate the exchange and correlation energies. The computational method was first validated by predicting the rate constant of the propagation step and comparing the calculated values to experimental ones. Then intramolecular chain transfer, β-scission and branching reactions were also investigated, due to their direct connection with the production of defects in the growing chains. A comparison of the evaluated kinetic constants of such secondary reactions with other computational evaluations and experimental data was finally made.     

Polymerization of vinyl chloride in the presence of precipitants. I

The kinetics of bulk and precipitation polymerization of vinyl chloride has been studied over wide range of reaction temperature by using γ-ray induced initiation. The autoacceleration effect, which has been observed by many investigators in the case of chemically initiated bulk polymerization of vinyl chloride above 40°C and has been the most controversial aspect of the bulk polymerization of vinyl chloride, was found to disappear in the bulk polymerization below 0°C. In the bulk polymerization at 40°C, the autoacceleration effect was observed up to 20%, in agreement with the results of previous investigators, and a pronounced effect of the size of polymer particles on the time–conversion curve was observed. The kinetics of precipitation polymerization of vinyl chloride in the presence of some nonsolvents was successfully described by a oneparameter equation. A kinetic scheme, which clearly explains the zero-order reaction behavior of bulk polymerization at low temperature and the kinetic behavior of precipitation polymerization described by the empirical equation, is proposed. The autoacceleration effect in the bulk polymerization at 40°C was considered to be essentially the same phenomenon as the small retardation period observed in the bulk polymerization at low temperature.     

Radical block polymerization of vinyl chloride. II. Synthesis and characterization of vinyl chloride block copolymers

Peroxidized polypropylene has been used as a heterofunctional initiator for a two-step emulsion polymerization of a vinyl monomer (M₁) and vinyl chloride with the production of vinyl chloride block copolymers. Styrene, methyl-, and n-butyl methacrylate and methyl-, ethyl-, n-butyl-, and 2-ethyl-hexyl acrylate have been used as M₁ and polymerized at 30–40°C. In the second step vinyl chloride was polymerized at 50°C. The range of chemical composition of the block copolymers depends on the rate of the first-step polymerization of M₁ and the duration of the second step; e.g., with 2-ethyl-hexyl acrylate block copolymers could be obtained with a vinyl chloride content of 25–90%. The block copolymers have been submitted to precipitation fractionation and GPC analysis. Noteworthy is the absence of any significant amount of homopolymers, as well as poly(M₁)n as PVC. The absence of homo-PVC was interpreted by an intra- and intermolecular tertiary hydrogen atom transfer from polypropylene residue to growing PVC sequences. The presence of saturated end groups on the PVC chains is responsible for the improved thermal stability of these block polymers, as well as their low rate of dehydrochlorination (180°C). Molecular aggregation in solution has been shown by molecular weight determination in benzene and tetrahydrofuran.     

Polymerization of t-butyl thiirane. II. Polymerization of enantiomerically enriched monomer. Mechanism of stereoelective process

The kinetics of enantiomerically enriched t-butyl thiirane was studied. The stereoelectivity and the kinetic behavior are not changed when a monomer of an initial enantiomeric composition lower than a defined limit value is used. When the enantiomeric composition is higher than this value, the stereoelectivity increases. In agreement with kinetic results, a mechanism is proposed involving, in a first step, the complexation of monomer on preexisting sites of the initiator with formation of highly selective chiral active species on which propagation occurs.     

Investigations on poly(vinyl chloride). II. Pyrolysis of chlorinated polybutadienes as model compounds for poly(vinyl chloride)

The pyrolysis of chlorinated polybutadienes (CPB) was investigated by using a pyrolysis gas chromatograph. CPB corresponds to poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) constructed with head–head and tail–tail linkages of the vinyl chloride unit. Benzene, toluene, ethyl-benzene, o-xylene, styrene, vinyltoluene, chlorobenzenes, naphthalene, and methylnaphthalenes were detected in the pyrolysis products from CPB above 300°C, and no hydrocarbons could be detected at 200°C. The pyrolysis products from CPB were similar to those from PVC and new products could not be detected. Lower aliphatics, toluene, ethylbenzene, o-xylene, chlorobenzenes, and methylnaphthalenes were released more easily from pyrolysis of CPB than from PVC; amounts of benzene, styrene, and naphthalene formed were small. These results support the conclusion that recombination of chlorine atoms with the double bonds in the polyene chain takes place and that scission of the main chain may depend on the location of methylene groups isolated along the polyene chain during the thermal decomposition of PVC.     

Polymerization of vinyl chloride with organolithium compounds. V. Flow behavior of concentrated solutions of high molecular weight poly(vinyl chloride) in cyclohexanone

The flow behavior of 10, 15, and 25% solutions of high molecular weight, thermally stable poly(vinyl chloride) in cyclohexanone was studied in the temperature range 50–140°C with respect to fiber-forming properties. The flow behavior of such solutions at shear rates ranging from 1–10³ sec^?1 is pronouncedly non-Newtonian with the exception of the 10% solution at 70°C. It can be adequately described by known empirical linear relationships. The apparent viscosities and activation energies are considerably higher than those for the usual types of poly(vinyl chloride), but vary within limits acceptable for the preparation and spinning of solutions.     

Polymerization of vinyl chloride with half‐titanocene/methylaluminoxane catalysts

The polymerization of vinyl chloride (VC) with half‐titanocene /methylaluminoxane (MAO) catalysts is investigated. The polymerization of VC with the Cp*Ti(OCH₃)₃/MAO catalyst (Cp* = η⁵‐pentamethylcyclopentadienyl) afforded high‐molecular‐weight poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) in good yields, although the polymerization proceeded at a slow rate. With the Cp*TiCl₃/MAO catalyst, the polymer was also obtained, but the polymer yield was lower than that with the Cp*Ti(OCH₃)₃/MAO catalyst. The polymerization of VC with the Cp*Ti(OCH₃)₃/MAO catalyst was influenced by the MAO/Ti mole ratio and reaction temperature, and the optimum was observed at the MAO/Ti mole ratio of about 10. The optimum reaction temperature of VC with the Cp*Ti(OCH₃)₃/MAO catalyst was around 20 °C. The stereoregularity of PVC obtained with the Cp*Ti(OCH₃)₃/MAO catalyst was different from that obtained with azobisisobutyronitrile, but highly stereoregular PVC could not be synthesized. From the elemental analyses, the ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectra of the polymers, and the analysis of the reduction product from PVC to polyethylene, the polymer obtained with Cp*Ti(OCH₃)₃/MAO catalyst consisted of only regular head‐to‐tail units without any anomalous structure, whereas the Cp*TiCl₃/MAO catalyst gave the PVC‐bearing anomalous units. The polymerization of VC with the Cp*Ti(OCH₃)₃/MAO catalyst did not inhibit even in the presence of radical inhibitors such as 2,2,6,6,‐tetrametylpiperidine‐1‐oxyl, indicating that the polymerization of VC did not proceed via a radical mechanism. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 248–256, 2003     

Polymerization mechanism of vinyl chloride with titanium tetrabutoxide–ethylaluminum sesquichloride catalyst and some physical properties of poly(vinyl chloride) prepared at low temperature

The mechanism of vinyl chloride polymerization by titanium tetrabutoxide–ethylaluminum sesquichloride catalyst system was investigated from the view of the stereoregularity of poly(vinyl chloride). The samples were prepared at a selected temperature in the range from 23 to ?78°C. The tactic triads, obtained from 220-MHz NMR spectra, show clearly the adequacy of Bernoullian statistics in describing the mechanism for stereochemical propagation. The chain propagation proceeds according to Bernoullian statistics with syndiotactic placements favored by 550 cal/mole. These results suggest that vinyl chloride polymerizes by a free-radical mechanism under the action of the present catalyst system.     

Studies on copolymers of vinyl chloride with diethyl fumarate,isobutylene and vinyl bromide,as models of PVC with chain irregularities—II The influence of copolymerization on the tacticity of PVC sequences: The influence f copolymerization on the tacticity of PVC sequences

Copolymers of vinyl chloride (> 90%) with diethyl fumarate, isobutylene and vinyl bromide, prepared at temperatures between +25 and ?30°, were used to determine the influence of the copolymerization on the tacticity of polyvinyl chloride sequences in the copolymers. The tacticity appeared to decrease in proportion as the comonomer content increases, this effect being different for the three kinds of copolymers. The results are discussed by taking into consideration the comonomer volume, the Arrhenius plots and the sequence distribution in copolymers after calculation of the number of alternances per 100 monomer units.