Effect of polymerization conditions on the morphology of as-polymerized poly(vinylidene chloride)

Poly(vinylidene chloride) (PVDC) separates from the reaction mixture during the free-radical polymerization of vinylidene chloride. The morphology of the “as-polymerized” powder is determined by the degree of undercooling existing in the reaction medium at the time of crystallization. Crystallization occurs simultaneously in the process of polymerization and subsequently by the precipitation of polymer which formed in solution. As the medium becomes more favorable, an increasing portion of the polymer forms in solution and then crystallizes. The morphology developed by polymerization in borderline solvents such as dioxane can be nearly duplicated by recrystallization under similar conditions. The simultaneous occurrence of solution and solid phase polymerization leads to a double DTA endotherm. The upper peak at ca. 200°C represents the melting point of PVDC. The size and temperature of the lower peak vary with polymerization conditions. The results can be correlated with the degree of under-cooling as estimated by the difference between the polymerization temperature and the temperature at which the crystalline polymer dissolves in the reaction mixture.     

偏氯乙烯悬浮聚合反应速率模型

通过实验研究了偏氯乙烯悬浮聚合反应动力学,比较了偏氯乙烯与氯乙烯聚合动力学行为的异同.在假定偏氯乙烯聚合反应发生在单体相和液固界面两个区域的基础上,提出了偏氯乙烯沉淀聚合反应速率模型.模型预测的转化率值几乎在全转化率范围内都与本文的偏氯乙烯悬浮聚合实验结果一致.     

Thermal decomposition of poly(vinylidene chloride) prepared in presence of oxygen

The thermal decomposition of poly(vinylidene chloride) was studied for samples prepared in the presence of oxygen. The products from both mass and aqueous suspension polymerizations show two modes of thermal decomposition. A rapid initial mode varies in rate and extent with the amount of oxygen present. A slower mode is unaffected by oxygen and in similar in rate to the polymer made in the absence of oxygen. The chief volatile products are phosgene and formaldehyde for the rapid decomposition and hydrogen chloride for the slow decomposition. The rapid decomposition is interpreted to be an unzipping reaction of a vinylidene chloride–oxygen alternating copolymer initiated by homolysis of a peroxide bond. The absence of significant amounts of hydrogen chloride during this stage of decomposition shows that none of the free radicals generated are capable of initiating a chain reaction that would unzip hydrogen chloride from the poly(vinylidene chloride) backbone. The presence of oxygen during the aqueous suspension polymerization correlates with the generation of hydrochloric acid in the aqueous phase. By analogy with the high temperature decomposition, the hydrochloric acid is believed to result primarily from the hydrolysis of phosgene produced by partial decomposition of the polyperoxide. Initiation of the decomposition is believed due to a reaction of the chain propagating radical.     

Degradation of vinylidene chloride/phenylacetylene (VDC/PA) copolymers. Effect of internal unsaturation on poly(vinylidene chloride) stability

The thermal degradation of vinylidene chloride/phenylacetylene copolymers containing small but varying amounts of phenylacetylene has been examined in both the solid phase and in bibenzyl solution. Incorporation of phenylacetylene into the poly(vinylidene chloride) structure greatly facilitates degradative dehydrochlorination. Indeed, the presence of phenylacetylene promotes the formation of polyene segments during the polymerization process so that all the copolymers, even at very low phenylacetylene loading, are tan in color. The decreased stability of polymers containing interal unsaturation arises from an increased rate of initiation for degradative dehydrochlorination. The propagation rate is largely unaffected by the level of unsaturation initially present in the polymer. The ratio of hydrogen chloride to stilbene formed for degradation of these copolymers in bibenzyl solution is approximately 35:1. This suggests that the chlorine atom of the initially-formed radical pair preferentially abstracts an adjacent hydrogen atom rather than interacting with solvent, i.e., the chain-carrying radical pair does not dissociate appreciably as the unzipping dehydrochlorination occurs. Thus random double bonds introduced in a variety of ways may be identified as principal defect sites responsible for the initiation of the degradative dehydrochlorination of poly(vinylidene chloride). Species which promote the degradation of poly(vinylidene chloride) probably do so by facilitating the introduction of random double bonds into the structure.     

Effect of polymerization temperature on the original morphology of polyethylene prepared by γ-ray-induced polymerization

Polyethylene was prepared by γ-ray-induced polymerization in the temperature range 0–180°C. The morphology and the physical properties of the polymer as polymerized were studied by electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and gel permeation chromatography. Aggregates of small lamellar crystals with irregularly growing faces were produced below 55°C. Aggregates of large spherical particles were formed above 60°C together with hemispherical particles which adhered to the substrate. A few lamellar crystals of triangular or amoeba-like shapes were also found above 55°C. The polymers formed below 55°C showed a sharp single endothermic DSC peak and a bimodal molecular-weight distribution, while the sample above 60°C had a double endotherm and a unimodal molecular-weight distribution. These facts suggest that the mechanism of crystallization during polymerization below 55°C is different from that above 60°C. The melting point, however, decreased continuously with increasing polymerization temperature and was much lower than that of extended-chain crystals. The results show that the polyethylene, as polymerized, is composed of folded-chain crystals irrespective of the reaction temperature.     

Effects of acrylonitrile water solubility on limiting conversion and copolymer composition in suspension polymerization

The effects of acrylonitrile (AN) water solubility on the limiting conversion and copolymer composition of the AN and AN/vinylidene chloride (VDC) suspension polymerization were investigated. It was found that AN dissolved in aqueous phase does not transfer back to oil phase in AN suspension homopolymerization but partially does in AN/VDC suspension copolymerization, and thus the limiting conversion is lowered and decreases with water/oil ratio increasing in both AN and AN/VDC suspension polymerization. For the continuous transport of AN in aqueous phase to oil phase during suspension polymerization, the composition distribution of AN/VDC copolymer prepared by suspension polymerization is narrower than that by bulk polymerization. The calculated composition of AN/VDC suspension copolymer with considering AN water solubility is consistent with the experimental data.     

Lyotropic liquid crystal-assisted synthesis of micro- and nanoparticles of silver

A simple, one-step approach for the synthesis of micro- and nanoparticles of silver by employing a lyotropic liquid crystal (LLC) template is described. Anisotropic silver particles are synthesised by reducing an appropriate amount of precursor silver nitrate using a mild reducing agent ascorbic acid in presence of a hexagonal LLC medium, without the aid of any external stabilising agents. In this synthesis, precursor concentration, type of the reducing agent and LLC phase are found to significantly influence the particle size and morphology. Either a decrease in the concentration of silver nitrate or a change in the reducing agent, from ascorbic acid to sodium borohydride in the same reaction medium, yielded quasi-spherical nanoparticles. Besides, replacing the hexagonal LLC medium with a lamellar phase during the synthesis using ascorbic acid also resulted in the formation of spherical particles in nanometre scale. As a comparison, gold nanoparticle synthesis is carried out in hexagonal and lamellar LLC phases. Similar to the observations made in the silver particle synthesis, branched anisotropic particles are formed in the hexagonal phase and quasi-spherical particles are produced in the lamellar phase. A possible growth mechanism for the formation of these particles based on the phase structure of the LLC medium is discussed.     

Grafting of Vinyudene Chloride. Model Studies with Poly(Vinyl Alcohol) as Substrate

The modification of coatings resins by graft polymerization of vinylidene chloride should produce a coatings binder with improved barrier properties. For superior color stability, vinylidene chloride must be copolymer-ized with other monomers such as alkyl acrylates and methacrylates. Ceric ion initiation was used to graft vinylidene chloride free-radically onto a model alcohol-containing polymer, polyvinyl alcohol. The effects of various reaction parameters on vinylidene chloride grafting were studied. Graft copolymers were characterized using selective solvent extraction, FTIR, SEM, XES, DSC, and x-ray diffraction.     

Transformations of chloroethylenes in the presence of aprotonic acids

The cationic polymerization of vinyl chloride, vinylidene chloride, and cis- and trans- 1,2-dichloroethylenes with the use of Lewis acid-type catalysts has been studied. Vinylidene chloride is smoothly polymerized in the presence of ZnCl₂ at 40°C to form the dimer, 1,1,3,3-tetrachlorobutene-1, and poly(vinylidene chloride) having somewhat increased crystallinity (45%). Vinyl chloride is polymerized very slowly in the presence of AlCl₃ and TiCl₄ to give dimeric, trimeric, tetrameric, and low molecular weight polymer products. The polymerization is followed by carbonium ion isomerization that leads to reaction products of branched structure. The cis- and trans-1,2-dichloroethylenes react in the presence of AlCl₃ only at 50–60°C, and their polymerization is terminated at the stage of dimer and cyclic trimer formation. A mechanism of carbonium ion-initiated polymerization of chloroethylenes is proposed, and the causes which lead to early termination of polymerization are discussed.     

A Study of Emulsion Polymerization Kinetics by the Method of Continuous Monomer Addition

The differences in the kinetics of emulsion polymerization between nonswelling and swellable latex particles were explored in an attempt to define the locus of polymerization. The systems studied included vinylidene chloride, which forms a nonswelling particle, and mixtures of vinylidene chloride and butyl acrylate, which copolymerize to form a swellable particle. The basic experiment involved growing a seed latex by adding monomer at a constant rate. At low feed rates the rate of polymerization R_p was controlled by the rate of monomer addition R_a. The data fit the equation R_p?KR_a where the proportionality constant had an average value of 0.91. K was not dependent on monomer composition and appears to be a constant characteristic of the monomer addition process. In the range where this relationship holds, the reaction runs starved, i.e., monomer is consumed almost as fast as it enters the reactor. At higher rates of addition the reaction floods and excess monomer in the form of droplets can be detected. In this condition the rate starts out at a lower value but increases with conversion.' R_p is not controlled by R_a but does depend on monomer composition. No major differences were found between the behavior of swelling and nonswelling systems. Neither followed che kinetics expected if the Smith-Ewart theory were applicable. The results argue strongly that polymerization takes place at the particle-water interface or in a surface layer on the polymer particle.     

Phase separation in polystyrene latex interpenetrating polymer networks

Polystyrene/polystyrene latex interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) were prepared by seeded emulsion polymerzation of styrene–divinylbenzene mixtures in crosslinked monodisperse polystyrene seed latexes. The resulting latexes comprised uniform nonspherical particles, which were formed by separation of the second-stage monomer from the crosslinked seed network during swelling and polymerization. The kinetics of phase separation were investigated by examining the changes in particle morphology using optical microscopy, which revealed that the phase separation was induced by the relaxation of the polymer chains before polymerization began and was enhanced by increased conversion. The thermodynamics of phase separation were investigated by analysis of the free-energy changes during swelling and polymerization, and the phase separation was described by a nucleation-and-growth mechanism. The results of this study have been applied to the design and synthesis of a series of uniform nonspherical particles of different morphology.     

Carbonization of polytetrafluoroethylene surface by UV-induced grafting of vinylidene chloride

A method has been developed for modifying the surface layer of polytetrafluoroethylene by incorporation of poly(vinylidene chloride) via UV radiation-initiated graft polymerization of vinylidene chloride from the vapor phase using a PRK-4 mercury lamp. By the subsequent treatment of the composition with aqueous ammonia, dehydrochlorination (carbonization) of the grafted poly(vinylidene chloride) has been performed. The kinetics of UV grafting and the distribution of the carbonized phase in the polytetrafluoroethylene matrix have been studied. A material with the carbonized surface layer of a 10—30 μm thickness and a contact angle of about 57° remaining stable over time has been obtained.     

液晶模板法制备Au纳米线

利用非离子表面活性剂C₁₂E₄的层状液晶作为模板,以氯金酸(HAuCl₄)水溶液作为体系的水相和反应物,并利用C₁₂E₄中EO基团的还原性制备了Au的纳米线.研究表明,反应物的浓度、液晶体系的组成和反应时间都将影响产物的形貌.在适当条件下,可以得到直径约为20nm,长度达到几微米的均匀金纳米线,并探讨了纳米线形成过程中层状液晶的模板作用.     

Characterization of carbonyl chloride-terminated aromatic polyamide nanoparticles with carboxyl groups and their reaction

Aromatic polyamide nanoparticles with carbonyl chloride (COCl) and carboxyl (COOH) groups were obtained using a precipitation polymerization method. The morphology, number of COCl groups incorporated, and degree of polymerization of the resulting particles depended on the reaction system. The COOH group of diamine used decreased the reactivity of NH₂ groups and chemically stabilized the COCl groups existing at the ends of the molecular chains. Also, the COCl groups were retained in particles by the rapid formation of particles. Thus, the chemical structures and formation mechanism were found to play an important role in the formation of particles with COCl groups.     

Acrylonitrile Copolymerizations. VI. Influence of the Comonomer on the Intramolecular Cyclization Reaction

The intramolecular cyclization reaction involving the polymerization of cyano groups reported in a previous paper for the system acrylonitrile-vinyl chloride is studied for other comonomers with acrylonitrile including vinyl acetate, vinylidene chloride, butadiene, styrene, methyl acrylate, and methyl methacrylate. It is shown that the extent of the reaction is governed by the reactivity of the comonomer-unit ended radical, but the cyclization reaction cannot explain all the kinetic deviations observed.     

An Experimental Investigation of the Impact of Gas Phase Prepolymerization of Propylene

A systematic investigation is carried out on the gas phase of propylene during the initial instants of polymerization. The results confirm the positive impact of small amounts of mineral oil on the initial reaction rate and morphology. It is shown that polymerizing under conditions of mild temperature and pressure alone are not enough to achieve the same result. It is found that the presence of mineral oil, and low temperature of polymerization can be used to control the morphology of polymer particles and to obtain high activity in the main reaction. If enough oil is used, moderate to high temperatures of prepolymerization are acceptable in terms of controlling morphology but can compromise the activity of the main polymerization. It is also observed that the way in which the oil is introduced has an impact on the kinetics and particle morphology. Separate addition of oil from the precatalyst gives rise to relatively flat kinetics during prepolymerization and highest rate during main polymerization. To account for the activity enhancement, a selective quench‐labeling study employing methyl propargyl ether shows that the presence of mineral oil appears to increase the fraction of active titanium by a factor of almost 2.     

Semi-continuous emulsion polymerization of styrene in the presence of poly(methyl methacrylate) seed particles. Polymerization conditions giving core-shell particles

This work reports the morphology of two-phase latex particles prepared by semi-continuous seed emulsion polymerization of styrene in the presence of polar poly(methyl methacrylate), PMMA, seed particles, using different conditions of non-polar styrene feed rate, rate of initiation, seed particle concentration and temperature of polymerization.The expected latex particle morphology at thermodynamic equilibrium is an inverted core-shell structure where the non-polar polystyrene would form the core. However, depending on the set of process conditions used the morphology of the resulting two-phase particles varied from that of a pure core-shell structure, over intermediate structures in which a shell of PS surrounded a PMMA core containing an increasing number of PS phase domains, to a structure in which the entire PS phase was present as discrete PS phase domain, more or less evenly distributed in a matrix of PMMA.By the use of a caloirimetric reactor system the monomer concentration in the particles during the different polymerization experiments could be calculated by comparing the integral of the polymerization rate curve with the integral of the monomer feed rate. A comparison between particle morphology and the calculated concentration of plasticizing monomer in the polymerizing particles strongly suggested that the diffusivity of the entering oligo radicals determined by the difference between polymerization temperature and the glass transition temperature of the monomer-swollen core polymer is a key factor determining the morphology of two-phase particles prepared by semi-continuous seed emulsion polymerization.Two-phase particles with a true core-shell structure were obtained in experiments where the estimated glass transition temperature of the PMMA phase was only a few degrees below the polymerization temperature. The results show that such particles can be obtained under conditions of high as well as low styrene feed rates, provided that the rate of initiation is properly adjusted.     

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.     

Fabrication of poly(2‐oxy‐6‐naphthoyl) particles by direct polycondensation of 2‐hydroxy‐6‐naphthoic acid

Morphology control of poly(2‐oxy‐6‐naphthoyl) (PON) was examined by using reaction‐induced crystallization of oligomers during direct polycondensation of 2‐hydroxy‐6‐naphthoic acid with p‐toluenesulfonyl chloride and N,N‐dimethylformamide in pyridine. PON particles were obtained of which the diameter was in the range of 8.0–8.3 µm. The particles were comprised of many lamellae and exhibited spherulitic morphology. They possessed high crystallinity evaluated from wide‐angle X‐ray scattering (WAXS). Formation mechanism of the particles was clarified from the results of morphology observation, yield, density and WAXS. When the number average degree of polymerization of the oligomers exceeded a critical value of ca. 4–5, they were precipitated to form lamellae. The lamellae grew to spherulites through screw dislocation with continuous precipitation of the oligomer from the solution. Finally, further polymerization occurred gradually in the precipitates. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Core–shell morphology as a model for the study of gas permeation in composite systems

Structured latex particles prepared by emulsion polymerization were used as a model to simulate the interphase region between two phases. Multiphase polymer films comprised of high and low permeability polymers of various compositions were used. The model system consisted of a poly(n-butyl methacrylate) (PBMA) matrix and a discontinuous phase with core and shell morphology. The structured particle had a PBMA core and a vinylidene chloride – n-butyl methacrylate (VDC–BMA) copolymer shell. The shell transport characteristics wer altered by changing the (VDC–BMA) copolymer molar ratio. The physical and transport properties for each individual component were measured. Nitrogen was the probe gas. Films used for permeation experiments were prepared by latex casting. The results showed that the morphology of a heterogeneous polymeric system and the transport characteristics of their components had a considerable effect on the magnitude of the transport properties. Experimental data also showed the dependence of the gas global permeability coefficient on the nature of the simulated interphase region, the shell, and the weight percentage of such interphase in the heterogeneous polymeric films. Upon increasing the VDC content in the VDC–BMA copolymer, the gas permeability decreased. The data were fitted to the electrical analogs of conductivity in composite systems. For the matrix filled with structured particles the overall permeability coefficient could best be described when the individual permeabilities were considered as the inverse resistances in parallel.