Studies on propagating species in cationic polymerization of styrene derivatives by acetyl perchlorate or iodine. III. Effect of salt on cationic copolymerization of styrene derivatives with vinyl ethers by acetyl perchlorate

A common-ion salt, tetra-n-butylammonium perchlorate, was found to affect the monomer reactivity ratios in the cationic copolymerization by acetyl perchlorate of styrene with p-methylstyrene and of 2-chloroethyl vinyl ether with p-methylstyrene, but not those for the copolymerization of 2-chloroethyl vinyl ether with isobutyl vinyl ether. In the copolymerization of p-methylstyrene with styrene or with 2-chloroethyl vinyl ether, the addition of the common-ion salt in a polar solvent shifted the monomer reactivity ratios to those in a less polar solvent. The molecular weight distribution analysis of the copolymer suggested that the addition of the common-ion salt depresses the dissociation of propagating species. Therefore, it was concluded that a propagating species with a different degree of dissociation shows a different relative reactivity towards two monomers. The nature of propagating species was also discussed on the basis of the common-ion effect on the monomer reactivity ratios in various solvents.     

Studies on propagating species in cationic polymerization of styrene derivatives by acetyl perchlorate or iodine. IV. Common-ion salt effect on the polymerization rate and the steric structure of the polymer obtained by acetyl perchlorate

Effects of a common-ion salt, n-Bu₄NClO₄, on the cationic polymerization of styrene and p-chlorostyrene by acetyl perchlorate were studied in a variety of solvents at 0°C. In polymerization (in CH₂Cl₂) which yielded polymers with a bimodal molecular weight distribution (MWD), addition of the salt suppressed the formation of higher polymers, but affected neither the molecular weight nor the steric structure of the lower polymers. The polymerization rate decreased with increasing salt concentration and became constant at or above a certain concentration. In nitrobenzene, on the other hand, the MWD of the polymers was unimodal and steric structure was unchanged even in the presence of salt at a concentration 50 times that of the catalyst. However, the polymerization rate and the polymer molecular weight decreased monotonically as salt concentration increased. On the basis of these results, it was concluded that the ion pair in methylene chloride differs from that in nitrobenzene, and that the species in the latter solvent is similar in nature to free ions. The fractional contribution of the dissociated and nondissociated propagating species to polymer formation was determined from the rate depression caused by addition of the salt.     

Studies on propagating species in cationic polymerization of styrene derivatives by acetyl perchlorate or iodine. II. Salt effect on the relative reactivity in the cationic copolymerization of styrene derivatives with 2-chloroethyl vinyl ether initiated by iodine

To determine the effect of the dissociation of propagating species on the relative reactivity of monomers, 2-chloroethyl vinyl ether was copolymerized with p-methoxystyrene or with p-methylstyrene by using iodine in various solvents at 0°C. A common-ion salt (tetra-n-butylammonium iodide or tetra-n-butylammonium triiodide) was added to these copolymerization systems in a polar solvent to depress the dissociation of the propagating species. The addition of a common-ion salt increased the vinyl ether content in the copolymer. The more the dissociation of propagating species was depressed, the more the vinyl ether content in the copolymer increased. This effect of common-ion salt was in agreement with that of decreasing solvent polarity which yielded vinyl ether-rich copolymer as well. Therefore, the change of the monomer reactivity ratio by the solvent polarity, which used to be explained in terms of a selective solvation, must be reconsidered from the viewpoint of varying degrees of the dissociation of propagating species.     

Cationic polymerization of styrene by acetyl perchlorate: Molecular weight distribution of polystyrene and nature of the propagating species

To clarify the nature of the propagating species in cationic polymerization of styrene catalyzed by acetyl perchlorate, the molecular weight distribution of the polymer was investigated under various conditions. The molecular weight distribution curve for the polymer obtained in methylene chloride at 0°C showed a double peak phenomenon. This suggests that two or more kinds of propagating species participate simultaneously in the propagation reaction. The weight fraction W(H) of the polymer corresponding to the higher molecular weight peak increased with increasing polarity of the solvent. W(H) decreased when the concentration of the ionic species was increased either by an increase of the catalyst concentration or by the addition of the common salt such as tetra-n-butylammonium perchlorate. On the other hand, the position of the peak in the molecular weight distribution curve was independent of polymerization conditions. It was concluded that the higher molecular weight part of the polymer was produced under conditions for conductive to dissociation of the propagating species and the less dissociated propagating species was responsible for the lower molecular weight part of the polymer.     

Cationic polymerization of styrene by acetyl perchlorate. II. Steric structure of the polymer and nature of the propagating species

Cationic polymerization of styrene initiated by acetyl perchlorate in CH₂Cl₂ yields a polymer having a bimodal molecular weight distribution. The high molecular weight and the low molecular weight portions of the polymer were separated by thin-layer chromatography, and the steric structure of these separated polymers was investigated by ¹³C NMR spectra. The high molecular weight polymer had a larger racemic dyad content than the low molecular weight material. From the dependence of the steric structure of the polymer on the polarity of a solvent, it was estimated that the propagating species producing the high molecular weight material was a loose ion pair or a free ion, and that producing the high molecular weight material was a loose ion pair or a free ion, and that producing the low one was a nondissociated species.     

Bimodal molecular weight distribution formed in the emulsion polymerization of ethylene

It is known that the molecular weight distribution (MWD) formed in an emulsion polymerization of ethylene can be bimodal. However, the origin of the bimodality has not been elucidated. In this article, a Monte Carlo simulation is conducted, mostly with parameters reported in the literature. The simulated MWDs are bimodal because of the limited volume effect; that is, the high molecular weight profiles are distorted by the small particle size, which is comparable to the size of the largest branched polymer molecule in a particle. The simulated MWDs agree reasonably well with the experimentally obtained MWDs. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 3426–3433, 2002     

The propagating species in living cationic polymerization: Living nature and steric structure of polymers

This paper discusses the nature of the living growing species in cationic polymerization from the viewpoint of the steric structure of poly(isobutyl vinyl ether) [poly(IBVE)]. At −78 °C, living polymerization was induced with the HCl-IBVE adduct (1)/ZnCl₂ system in a EtNO₂/CH₂Cl₂ mixture, whereas similar systems with EtAlCl₂ led to conventional cationic polymerization. In this polar medium, both systems gave polymers with very similar and low isotacticity (meso ≈ 56%), indicating that the propagating reaction is mediated by free ions. Thus, regardless of solvent polarity, or involvement of free ions or ion pairs, living cationic polymerization requires a suitably nucleophilic counteranion. As model reactions of the growing species, 1/ZnCl₂ and 1/EtAlCl₂ were directly analyzed by ¹H NMR spectroscopy.     

Effect of inititiator on the molecular weight distribution in dispersion polymerization of styrene

Dispersion polymerization of styrene in the particle size range of 10 μ with lauroyl peroxide as initiator results in a double-peak molecular weight (MW) distribution. The high-MW fraction was due to emulsion polymerization. The same phenomenon also exists in AIBN and benzoyl peroxide initiation, although it is less obvious. The kinetics of the reaction for dispersion polymerization was dependent on the concentration of the dispersing agent and the nature of the initiator.     

Calculation of molecular weight distribution in a batch thermal polymerization of styrene

Molecular weight averages have long been used as a measure of polymer molecular weight properties in industrial polymer manufacturing processes. With a kinetic model, it is possible to directly calculate the polymer chain length distribution by integrating an infinite number of the polymer population balance equations. However, when the polymer chain length is very large, such a direct integration of polymer population balance equations can be computationally demanding. In this paper, the method of finite molecular weight moments is applied to the calculation of polymer chain length distribution in a batch free radical thermal polymerization of styrene. The weight fraction of a finite chain length interval is directly calculated in conjunction with a kinetic model. The method of calculation is illustrated through model simulations.     

Molecular weight distribution and molecular structure of polyethylene produced by radiation-induced polymerization

The molecular weight distribution of polyethylene produced by radiation was calculated according to a kinetic scheme. The calculated molecular weight distribution was compared with the results deduced from gel-permeation chromatography. The observed distribution curve from GPC was broader and showed a lower degree of polymerization than the calculated one. Discrepancies between observed and calculated curves can be explained if the polymer contains nonsteady-state products and if the reaction mechanism includes chain transfer to dead polymer. By this reaction long-chain branching would occur. Several long-chain branches per polymer molecule were indeed found, as inferred from solution properties.     

Molecular weight distribution in thermal polymerization of styrene

The molecular weight distribution in thermal polymerization, for which the termination rate is comparable with the transfer rate, is analyzed by assuming that (1) the termination rate is independent of chain length; (2) the rate is translational diffusion-controlled; and (3) the rate is influenced by the excluded volume. The theoretical distribution, based on the assumption that the rate is translational diffusion-controlled, is the best fit to the experimental data at high temperature. The dependence of the rate on chain length is stronger at higher temperature (>80°C). The ratio of the termination rate to the transfer rate increases with increasing temperature.     

Molecular weight distributions in radiation-induced polymerization. V. A simultaneous kinetic and molecular weight distribution analysis of the liquid-state polymerization of styrene

The γ-ray initiated polymerization of styrene in the liquid state was investigated over the temperature range 0 to ?29°C at constant dose rate. The kinetics and molecular weight distributions were studied for samples prepared by standard techniques and samples subjected to exhaustive drying to remove residual water. In the former case, the rates of reaction were comparable to those for purely free radical polymerization, however, the resulting molecular weight distributions were distinctly bimodal, indicating an additional contribution from the cationic mechanism. On the other hand, the rates of polymerization for rigorously dried samples were 2 to 3 orders of magnitude greater than accepted free-radical values, and the molecular weight distributions were unimodal in nature. The experimental results were compared with theoretical kinetic data and molecular weight distribution data generated from a kinetic scheme taking into consideration polymerization via free-radical, cationic, and radical-cationic species, resulting in the evaluation of a number of quantities of interest. Substitution of determined values for the rate constants and G values results in good agreement between theoretically generated and experimentally determined kinetic data and molecular weight distribution data over the range of experimental conditions studied.     

Determination of concentration of propagating species in cationic polymerization of tetrahydrofuran

A spectroscopic method is described for the determination of the concentration of propagating species, [P^*], in the polymerization of tetrahydrofuran catalyzed by a mixture of AlEt₃?H₂O (1:0.5) and epichlorohydrin. A phenyl ether group was introduced at the polymer chain end by the quantitative reaction of the propagating species with excess sodium phenoxide. From the amount of phenyl ether groups in the polymer and of the remaining sodium phenoxide, [P^*] was determined by means of ultraviolet spectroscopy. The [P^*] value so determined was found to be in good agreement with that calculated from the amount and molecular weight of polymer based on a stepwise addition mechanism without chain transfer or termination. The present method of [P^*] determination was employed to examine the course of polymerization. It has now been found that [P^*] increases progressively during an induction period and remains unchanged in the subsequent period of polymerization.     

An experimental investigation on the evolution of the molecular weight distribution in styrene emulsion polymerization

Styrene ab initio emulsion polymerizations were conducted at 70°C in an automated reaction calorimeter. Two polymerizations were performed, one above and the other below the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of the surfactant, thus ensuring differing polymerization kinetics between the two: the system below the CMC gave large particles that were expected to follow pseudobulk kinetics, while that above the CMC gave small particles that were expected to follow zero-one kinetics. The evolutions of the molecular weight distributions (MWDs) were characterized by removing samples periodically during the course of the reactions and analyzing with gel permeation chromatography. Interpretation of the data used average molecular weights, the GPC MWDs, and the number MWDs, as functions of conversion. It was found that all of the number MWDs (plotted as ln (number of polymer chains) vs. molecular weight of polymer chains) were concave-up at low molecular weights and become nearly linear at molecular weights (≥3−4 × 10⁶); this linearity is expected from theory. The slope of the high molecular weight region was consistent with theory for the dominant mode for chain stoppage: termination and transfer for the pseudobulk system and (predominantly) chain transfer to monomer for the zero-one system. The most likely explanation for the concavity of the number MWDs is a heterogeneity of radicals: some surface anchored with sulfate end groups and others (with hydrogen end groups arising from transfer to monomer and/or reentry) being more mobile. Thus, two types of termination are proposed: slow reaction-diffusion for the less mobile surface anchored chains, and rapid short-long (center of mass) termination for the more mobile hydrogen-terminated chains. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 35: 989–1006, 1997     

Molecular weights and molecular weight distribution of polymers by equilibrium ultracentrifugation. Part I. Average molecular weights

From the sedimentation-diffusion equilibria of some polymer solutions the average molecular weights M?_n, M?_w, M?_z, and M?_z+1 have been determined in different ways. In particular, the applicability of Fujita's method, which utilizes concentration gradient values at the midpoint of the solution column at a number of rotor speeds, was examined. It appears that if the gradients at some other places in the column are also used, a smaller range of rotor speeds suffices. This method is generally applicable for determining the average molecular weights specified above.     

Molecular weight distribution in radiation-induced polymerization. I. γ-radiation-induced free-radical polymerization of liquid styrene

The kinetics of γ-radiation-induced free-radical polymerization of styrene were studied over the temperature range 0–50°C at radiation intensities of 9.5 × 10⁴, 3.1 × 10⁵, 4.0 × 10⁵, and 1.0 × 10⁶ rad/hr. The overall rate of polymerization was found to be proportional to the 0.44–0.49 power of radiation intensity, and the overall activation energy for the radiation-induced free-radical polymerization of styrene was 6.0–6.3 kcal/mole. Values of the kinetic constants, k_p²/k_t and k_trm/k_p, were calculated from the overall polymerization rates and the number-average molecular weights. Gelpermeation chromatography was used to determine the number-average molecular weight M?_n, the weight-average molecular weight M?_w, and the polydispersity ratio M?_w/M?_n, of the product polystyrene. The polydispersity ratios of the radiation-polymerized polystyrene were found to lie between 1.80 and 2.00. Significant differences were observed in the polydispersity ratios of chemically initiated and radiation-induced polystyrenes. The radiation chemical yield, G(styrene), was calculated to be 0.5–0.8.     

Controlled radical polymerization of styrene in the presence of molecular iodine

Controlled radical polymerization of styrene in toluene by the RITP method in the presence of I₂ and radical initiators, 2,2′-azobis(isobutyronitrile) and benzoyl peroxide, was studied.

     

Radiation-induced cationic dimerization and polymerization of styrene in methylene chloride solution. I

Radiation-induced polymerization of styrene in methylene chloride solution or bulk system was investigated to explain the initiation mechanism of cationic polymerization. It was found that high energy radiation produces polymers and dimers. The main dimers were identified as trans-1,2-diphenylcyclobutane, 1-phenyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene, and 1-phenyl-1,2-dihydronaphthalene. The dimerization procedure was cationic in a pattern similar to that obtained in photoexcited EDA systems. It was shown clearly by product analysis that the bonded dimer cation radical intermediate, which was assumed to be an initiating species of the cationic polymerization, was produced in a radiation-induced polymerization system. The observed polymerization was composed of two types; cationic and radical, the latter initiated by radical species.