Kinetics of emulsion copolymerization of methylmethacrylate and ethylacrylate: effect of type and concentration of initiator in unseeded polymerization system

The free radical emulsion copolymerization of methylmethacrylate (MMA) and ethylacrylate (EA) initiated by a water-soluble initiator (potassium persulphate, KPS) at 50 °C in the presence of anionic emulsifier above critical micelle concentration under constant stirring speed in an inert atmosphere is investigated. The effect of blend of KPS and oil-soluble initiators [KPS+2,2^′-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN)] is also examined. The order of the interval-II polymerization rate (R_p) is found to be 0.76±0.03 in KPS initiation alone and 0.72±0.04 in presence of fixed concentration of AIBN under similar experimental condition. On the other hand, interestingly, the rate of polymerization is found to be propotional to the 0.40th power of the AIBN concentration in presence of fixed concentration of KPS. The kinetic features of the present investigation indicate that probably the radical desorption is relatively facile and also the cage effect may be operative under high conversions (i.e. in polymer particles) in this MMA/EA emulsion copolymerization system. It is also found that the polydispersity index of polymer is being influenced by the type and concentration of initiators.     

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.     

Effect of initiators on grafting in the initial stage of the emulsion polymerization of methyl methacrylate using poly(vinyl alcohol) as a protective colloid

 To make clear the reason of unsuitability of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) protective colloid for the emulsion polymerization of conjugated monomers, a model experiment of emulsion polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) was carried out with ammonium persulfate (APS) or azobis(isobutyronitrile) (AIBN) initiators, where a small amount of MMA (1/100th of the concentration compared with ordinary emulsion polymerization) was employed. This corresponds to the initial stage of the emulsion polymerization. Grafting of MMA onto PVA took place remarkably irrespective of the kind of the initiators. Formation of homo-poly(MMA) was observed to a small extent. The formation of new emulsion particles smaller than 100 nm continued to increase to almost the end of the polymerization. PVA molecules in the grafted polymer are supposed to act as stabilizers of newly formed particles. From kinetic treatment using the experimental data, the important issues were derived as follows. Firstly, the sulfate anion radical from APS is much more reactive than the isobutyronitrile radical from AIBN in terms of hydrogen abstraction from PVA. Secondly, high grafting ability of the latter initiator system, notwithstanding the much lower reactivity in the hydrogen abstraction compared with the APS system, is attributed to the relative reactivity of the primary radicals, i.e., hydrogen abstraction reaction from PVA to initiation reaction with MMA. The much slower rate of addition of the isobutyronitrile radical to the monomer compared with that of hydrogen abstraction from PVA facilitates the grafting, although the rate constant of hydrogen abstraction is far smaller than that with the sulfate anion radical by 10⁻⁴ times. Received: 26 April 2001 Accepted: 6 September 2001     

Kinetic and ESR studies on the radical polymerization of Di-n-butyl itaconate in benzene

The polymerization of di-n-butyl itaconate (DBI) intiated with AIBN was kinetically investigated in benezene. The polymerization rate (R_p) was expressed by: R_p = k[AIBN]^0.5[DBI]^1.7. The polymerization showed a considerably low overall activation energy of 15.3 kcal/mol. The initiator efficiency of AIBN in this system decreased with increasing DBI concentration, ranging from 0.34 to 0.55°C, which is ascribable to viscosity effect due to the monomer. From an ESR study, the polymerization system was found to involve two kinds of persistent radicals, namely, primary propagating ( III ) and propagating ( I ) radicals. The relative concentration of III to I increased with decreasing monomer concentration. Azo-nitrile initiators such as AVN and ACN similarly produced two persistent radicals, while MAIB, DBPO, and PBO yielded only propagating radical I as persistent. The MAIB-initiated polymerization of DBI was also performed in benzene. Similar kinetic features were observed, that is, a higher dependence of R_p on the DBI concentration and a low overall activation energy (14.4 kcal/mol). The following rate equation was obtained at 50°C:R_p = k[MAIB]^0.5[DBI]^1.6. The initiator efficiency of MAIB decreased with increasing DBI concentration, ranging from 0.32 to 0.53 at 50°C. The concentration of propagating radical I was determined by ESR at 50 and 61°C, from which k_p and k_t were estimated. The k_p value increased with increasing monomer concentration, while the k_t one decreased with the DBI concentration. These values are much lower compared with those of MMA.     

Modeling the Effects of Chain Length on the Termination Kinetics in Multivinyl Photopolymerizations

A model is presented that predicts photopolymerization kinetics over several orders of magnitude change in initiation rate. The model incorporates polymerization features that have long been assumed negligible when examining multivinyl photopolymerizations. The assumption that radical termination is chain‐length‐independent is relaxed by incorporating a chain‐length‐dependent termination (CLDT) parameter based on Random‐walk theory into the kinetic model. Experiments and modeling of multivinyl free‐radical photopolymerizations clearly demonstrate that CLDT is important at low conversions, where a deviation from the classical square‐root relationship between polymerization rate (R_p) and initiation rate (R_i) is observed (R_p ∝ R _i^α, α = ¹/₂, classically). At moderate conversions, when reaction diffusion dominates termination, a transition region is observed from a chain‐length‐dependent to a chain‐length‐independent region. During this transition, long chain – long chain termination is reaction diffusion controlled while the short chain – short chain termination event remains translational and segmental diffusion controlled. The scaling exponent, α, gradually increases throughout this region until achieving the classical value, where once attained, a plateau is observed. Chain‐length effects were also examined by including chain‐transfer (CT) reactions into the kinetic expressions. Upon CT agent addition, a transition region is still observed; however, at low conversion, α adheres more closely to the classical predictions. Most importantly, the model clearly demonstrates a transition from a CLDT region at low conversion to reaction diffusion controlled termination region at high conversion, where chain length is unimportant.     

Polymerization of methyl methacrylate by charge-transfer mechanism with aliphatic primary amines and carbon tetrachloride

Polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) with aliphatic primary amines and carbon tetrachloride has been investigated in th dimethylsulfoxide medium by employing a dilatometric technique at 60°C. The rate of polymerization (R_p) has been evaluated under the conditions, [CCl₄]/[amine] < 1 and > 1. The kinetic data indicate possible participation of the charge transfer complexes formed between the amine + CCl₄ and the amine + MMA in the polymerization of MMA. In the absence of CCl₄ or amine, no polymerization of MMA was observed under the present experimental conditions. The polymerization of MMA was inhibited by hydroquinone, indicating a free radical initiation. The energy of activation varied from 32 to 58 kJ mol^?1.     

Reverse atom transfer radical solution polymerization of methyl methacrylate under pulsed microwave irradiation

The reverse atom transfer radical polymerization (RATRP) of methyl methacrylate (MMA) was successfully carried out under pulsed microwave irradiation (PMI) at 69 °C with N,N‐dimethylformamide as a solvent and with azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN)/CuBr₂/tetramethylethylenediamine as an initiation system. PMI resulted in a significant increase in the polymerization rate of RATRP. A 10.5% conversion for a polymer with a number‐average molecular weight of 34,500 and a polydispersity index of 1.23 was obtained under PMI with a mean power of 4.5 W in only 52 min, but 103 min was needed under a conventional heating process (CH) to reach a 8.3% conversion under identical conditions. At different [MMA]₀/[AIBN]₀ molar ratios, the apparent rate constant of polymerization under PMI was 1.5–2.3 times larger than that under CH. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 3823–3834, 2002     

Comparison of oil-soluble and water-soluble initiation of styrene polymerization in a three-component microemulsion

The polymerization of styrene in three-component oil-in-water microemulsions made with the cationic surfactant dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide is studied by dilatometry and quasielastic light scattering as a function of type and concentration of initiator. Fast polymerization rates, high conversions, and high molecular weight polymers are achieved with both oil-soluble (AIBN) and water-soluble (potassium persulfate) initiators. The rate of polymerization shows initiation and termination intervals, but no constant-rate interval is observed. Stable monodisperse microlatexes are obtained with both types of initiators. For both AIBN and potassium persulfate, polystyrene molecular weight is proportional to initiator concentration [I]^–0.4 and particle radii decrease as [I]^–0.2. Polymerization initiation occurs in or at the microemulsion droplets, and polymer particles grow by recruiting monomer and surfactant from uninitiated swollen micelles.     

Effect of pyridine on the kinetics of polymerization of methyl methacrylate initiated by benzoyl peroxide and azobisisobutyronitrile at 60°C

Solution polymerization of MMA, with pyridine as the solvent and BZ₂O₂ and AIBN as thermal initiators, was studied kinetically at 60°C. The monomer exponent varied from 0.45 to 0.91 as [BZ₂O₂] was increased from 1 × 10^?2 to 30 × 10^?2 mole/liter in a concentration range of 8.3-4.6 mole/liter for MMA. For AIBN-initiated polymerization the monomer exponent remained constant at 0.69 as [AIBN] varied from 0.4 × 10^?2 to 1.0 × 10^?2 mole/liter in the same concentration range for MMA. The k²_p/k_t Value increased in both cases with an increase in pyridine concentration in the system. This was explained in terms of an increase in the k_p value, which was due presumably to the increased reactivity of the chain radicals by donor-acceptor interaction between the molecules of solvent pyridine and propagating PMMA radicals and in terms of lowering the k_t value for the diffusion-controlled termination reaction due to an increase in the medium viscosity and pyridine content.     

Vinyl Polymerization Initiated by Ceric Ion–Ethyl Cellosolve Redox System in Aqueous Nitric Acid

Abstract

Polymerizations of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and acrylonitrile (AN) were carried out in aqueous nitric acid at 30°C with the redox initiator system ammonium ceric nitrate-ethyl cellosolve (EC). A short induction period was observed as well as the attainment of a limiting conversion for polymerization reactions. The consumption of ceric ion was first order with respect to Ce(IV) concentration in the concentration range (0.2–0.4) × 10^?2 M, and the points at higher and lower concentrations show deviations from a linear fit. The plots of the inverse of pseudo-first-order rate constant for ceric ion consumption, (k ¹)^?1 vs [EC]^?1, gave straight lines for both the monomer systems with nonzero intercepts supporting complex formation between Ce(IV) and EC. The rate of polymerization increases regularly with [Ce(IV)] up to 0.003 M, yielding an order of 0.41, then falls to 0.0055 M and again shows a rise at 0.00645 M for MMA polymerization. For AN polymerization, R _p shows a steep rise with [Ce(IV)] up to 0.001 M, and beyond this concentration R _p shows a regular increase with [Ce(IV)], yielding an order of 0.48. In the presence of constant [NO^? ₃], MMA and AN polymerizations yield orders of 0.36 and 0.58 for [Ce(IV)] variation, respectively. The rates of polymerization increased with an increase in EC and monomer concentrations: only at a higher concentration of EC (0.5 M) was a steep fall in R _p observed for both monomer systems. The orders with respect to EC and monomer for MMA polymerization were 0.19 and 1.6, respectively. The orders with respect to EC and monomer for AN polymerization were 0.2 and 1.5, respectively. A kinetic scheme involving oxidation of EC by Ce(IV) via complex formation, whose decomposition gives rise to a primary radical, initiation, propagation, and termination of the polymeric radicals by biomolecular interaction is proposed. An oxidative termination of primary radicals by Ce(IV) is also included.     

Vinyl polymerization with a binary system of p‐chlorobenzenediazonium salt and sodium tetraphenylborate

A combined system of sodium tetraphenylborate (STPB) and p‐chlorobenzenediazonium tetrafluoroborate (CDF) serves as an effective initiator at low temperatures for acrylate monomers such as methyl methacrylate (MMA), ethyl acrylate, and di‐2‐ethylhexyl itaconate. The polymerization of MMA with the STPB/CDF system has been kinetically investigated in acetone. The polymerization shows a low overall activation energy of 60.3 kJ/mol. The polymerization rate (R_p) at 40 °C is given by R_p = k[STPB/CDF]^0.5[MMA]^1.6, when the molar ratio of STPB to CDF is kept constant at unity, suggesting that STPB and CDF form a complex with a large stability constant and play an important role in initiation and that MMA participates in the initiation process. From the results of a spin trapping study, p‐chlorophenyl and phenyl radicals are presumed to be generated in the polymerization system. A plausible initiation mechanism is proposed on the basis of kinetic and electron spin resonance results. A large solvent effect on the polymerization can be observed. The largest R_p value in dimethyl sulfoxide is 11 times the smallest value in N,N‐dimethylformamide. The copolymerization of MMA and styrene with the STPB/CDF system gives results somewhat different from those of conventional radical copolymerization. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 39: 4206–4213, 2001     

Homogeneous Solution Reverse Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization of Methyl Methacrylate

A homogeneous reverse atom transfer radical polymerization (RATRP) of methyl methacrylate (MMA) was successfully carried out in N, N-dimethylformamide(DMF) (25%, v/v) at 69°C, using an initiating system azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN)/CuBr₂/N, N, N′, N″, N″-pentamethyldiethylenetriamine (PMDETA). The kinetics of homogeneous solution polymerizations showed linear first-order rate plots, indicating a constant number of growing species throughout the polymerization as well as a negligible contribution of termination or transfer reactions; a linear increase of the number-average molecular weight with conversion, and relatively low polydispersities, but low initiator efficiency. The dependence of the rate of polymerization on the concentrations of initiator, catalyst, ligand and temperature were presented.     

Studies on the Mechanism of Methyl Methacrylate Polymerization Initiated by Volatile and Nonvolatile Products of Methyl Methacrylate Plasma

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Photopolymerization initiated by charge-transfer complex. I. Photopolymerization of methylmethacrylate with the use of quinaldine-bromine and lutidine–bromine charge-transfer complexes as photoinitiator

Photopolymerization of MMA was carried out with quinaldine–bromine (QN–Br₂) and lutidine–bromine (LU–Br₂) charge-transfer complexes as initiators. The rate of polymerization R_p increased with rising monomer concentration and the monomer exponent was computed as unity. At first the rate of polymerization accelerated and then reduced as the initiator concentration was increased. The initiator exponent was 0.5. The reaction was carried out at three different temperatures and overall activation energy was calculated at 4.0 kcal/mol. The kinetic data and other evidence indicate that the overall polymerization takes place in a radical mechanism. A suitable mechanism is suggested.     

STUDIES ON VINYL POLYMERIZATION WITH INITIATION SYSTEM CONTAINING AMINE DERIVATIVES

Two main types of amine-containing initiation systems were studied in this work. In the case of MMA polymerization initiated by BPO-amine (DMT, DHET, DMA) redox systems, it was found that the polymerization rate and colour stability of the polymer for different amine systems were in the following order: DMT≈DHET>DMA. Accordingly, BPO-DMT and BPO-DHET are effective initiators. In the case of MEMA polymerization by amine (DMT, DHET, DMA) alone, it was found that the polymerization rate and the percentage of conversion for these different amine systems were in the following order: DMT≥DHET>DMA. The polymerization rate and the percentage of conversion also increased with the increase of DMT concentration. From the kinetic investigation the rate equation of R_P=K [DMT]~(1/2) [MEMA]~(3/2) was obtained, and the overall activation energy of polymerization was calculated to be 34.3 KJ/mol (8.2 Kcal/mol). Moreover, the polymerization of MEMA in the presence of DMT was strongly inhibited by hydroquinone, indicating the polymerization being free radical in nature. From these results, the mechanism of MEMA polymerization initiated by amine was proposed.     

Photoinitiated polymerization of methyl methacrylate and methyl acrylate with 14C-labeled benzoin methyl ethers

Three ¹⁴C-labeled benzoin methyl ether (α-methoxy-α-phenylacetophenone) derivatives were utilized as photoinitiators in the polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and methyl acrylate (MA). The results of polymer end-group analysis are in accord with a mechanism of benzoin ether photocleavage into initiator radicals and dispute earlier labeling studies which were interpreted as evidence for copolymerization of excited-state benzoin ethers with reactive monomers. In MMA polymerization, the results indicate a preference for termination by disproportionation (～60%) and provide evidence for primary radical termination at 0.041M photoinitiator (optically dense solutions) in neat MMA. Evidence for chain branching by initiator radical hydrogen abstraction from poly(methyl acrylate) (PMA) is also presented. The benzoyl and α-methoxybenzyl radicals, produced on photolysis of benzoin methyl ether, appear to be equally effective in both initiation and hydrogen-abstraction processes. Quantum yields at 366 and 313 nm indicate the absence of a wavelength effect.     

Solvent effect on the radical polymerization of di-n-butyl itaconate

Solvent effect on the polymerization of di-n-butyl itaconate (DBI) with dimethyl azobisisobutyrate (MAIB) was investigated at 50 and 61°C. The solvents used were found to affect significantly the polymerization. The polymerization rate (R_p) and the molecular weight of the resulting polymer are lower in more polar solvents. The initiation rate (R_i) by MAIB, however, shows a trend of being rather higher in polar solvents. The stationary state concentration of propagating poly(DBI) radical was determined by ESR in seven solvents. The rate constants of propagation (k_p) and termination (k_t) were evaluated by using R_p, R_i, and the polymer radical concentration observed. The k_p value decreases fairly with increasing polarity of the solvent used, whereas k_t is not so influenced by the solvents. The solvent effect on k_p is explained in terms of a difference in the environment around the terminal radical center of the growing chain. Copolymerization of DBI with styrene (St) was also examined in three solvents with different physical properties. The poly(DBI) radical shows a lower reactivity toward St in a more polar solvent.     

Macrothiuram disulfide for the free radical synthesis of PDMS-vinyl triblock copolymers. II. Studies of chain transfer

Chain transfer constants (C_tr) for thiuram disulfide (TD) groups, included in the backbone of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) of different chain lengths, in methyl methacrylate (MMA) and styrene (St) were determined from measurements of the degree of polymerization. Two methods were used. The first consisted of using the initiation and transfer properties of the thiuram disulfides groups, and the second, of using a more efficient free radical initiator than TD groups, in which case the former behaves only as a transfer agent. In both the methods, the C_tr of TD was evaluated in bulk polymerization of MMA at 60, 70, 80, and 90°C. Using the first method, the C_tr of TD was measured also in solution polymerization of MMA in toluene at 100°C and, with the second one, in bulk polymerization of styrene at 60, 80, and 90°C. PDMS-based macrothiuram disulfide (macroiniferter) behaves as an “azeotropic” transfer agent for MMA and styrene at 125°C and 110°C, respectively. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

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.     

Polymerization of N,N′-methylenebis(acrylamide) using potassium peroxydiphosphate–thiocarboxylic acid redox systems: A comparison

The kinetics of aqueous polymerization of the symmetrical nonconjugated divinyl monomer N,N′-methylenebis(acrylamide) (MBA), was studied at 35°C and at constant ionic strength under nitrogen atmosphere involving potassium peroxydiphosphate (PDP) as oxidant with three different activators thiolactic acid (TLA), thiomalic acid (TMA), and thioglycollic acid (TGA). The rate of polymerization, R_P, and rate of disappearance of peroxydiphosphate, –R_PDP have been followed while polymerization was initiated separately by the PDP–TLA/PDP–TMA/PDP–TGA redox systems. R_P for the above three systems showed first-order dependences on both [monomer] and [activator] and zero-order dependence on [PDP]. First-order dependence on [PDP] and zero-order dependences on [monomer] and [activators] were observed with respect to –R_PDP in the above three systems. A reaction mechanism which involves complex formation between PDP and thiocarboxylic acid, propagation through intramolecular–intermolecular reactions, degradative chain transfer reaction of the growing radical with PDP, and linear termination by the interaction of the chain radical with primary radical was proposed. The kinetic parameters for the three polymerization systems were calculated and compared. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 11–20, 1998