Stereospecific polymerization of methacrylonitrile. II. Influence of polymerization conditions on polymerization and on properties of polymers

Stereospecific polymerization of methacrylonitrile with diethylmagnesium has been studied. Polymerization temperature has an important effect on polymerization. The conversion, stereoregularity, and intrinsic viscosity of the polymer increased significantly with increasing polymerization temperature. Stereoregularity of the polymer improved with increasing the polymerization time and the monomer concentration, but it is independent of the catalyst concentration. Intrinsic viscosity of the crystalline polymer increased with increasing monomer concentration but is independent of the polymerization time and the catalyst concentration. It is suggested that two mechanisms are involved in this polymerization: coordinated anionic polymerization to from the crystalline polymer, and probably conventional anionic polymerization to form the amorphous polymer. It is found that crystalline polymer can also be obtained in homogeneous phase such as in tetrahydrofuran solvent.     

Radical polymerization of vinyl acetate with primary radical termination

Vinyl acetate was polymerized at high initiation rate with 2,2′-azobis(2,4-dimethyl valeronitrile) as initiator at 50°C. In this polymerization, the power dependence of polymerization rate on the initiation rate is smaller than at lower concentration of monomer. This dependence was kinetically analyzed at each given concentration of monomer. Average degree of polymerization of polymer formed depends on the concentration of initiator. This dependence was explained by considering chain and primary radical terminations and transfer to monomer of polymer radical, and the initiator efficiency (=0.503) was deduced. It was found that the chain termination is inversely proportional to solvent viscosity, but the primary radical termination is not inversely proportional to solvent viscosity. Further, the value of the primary radical termination rate constant (=1.4 × 10⁹l./mole-sec) was estimated.     

丙烯酰胺双水相聚合体系稳定性研究

通过浊点滴定法测定了不同温度下PAAmPEGH2O双水相体系相图,发现分相浓度随着温度的升高先增后降,55℃时分相浓度最低.双水相聚合体系微观结构显示,分散相以砾状液滴形式均匀分散在连续相中.研究了聚合过程中聚合体系粘度的变化,以及聚合温度、分散介质、单体、引发剂及乳化剂等对聚合体系最终粘度的影响,聚合体系最终粘度在一定范围内随分散介质和单体浓度增加变化不大,但是超过某一浓度后聚合体系粘度急剧增加;聚合体系中加入少量乳化剂对体系粘度影响不大,但加入大量乳化剂后体系稳定性变差,聚合体系粘度急剧增加;聚合体系最终粘度随着聚合温度升高先降后增,与相图的预测结果一致.     

Kinetics of two-phase bulk polymerization. II. The influence of dissolved polymer

The effect of dissolved polybutadiene on the initial rate of polymerization of styrene was investigated by using high-precision dilatometric techniques. The dissolved polymer reduced the rate of polymerization by amounts greater than can be accounted for by a reduction in monomer concentration. Rate reductions increased with the amount of dissolved polybutadiene and with its molecular weight and were greater for benzoyl peroxide initiator than for equal concentrations of azobisisobutyronitrile. Surprisingly, analogous rate reductions were observed when polystyrene were substituted for the polybutadienes, except that at high polystyrene concentrations, the expected autoacceleration was observed. These rate reductions showed no correlation with the viscosity of the reaction mass, nor did the dissolved polymer affect initiator efficiency. At a given level of a particular dissolved polybutadiene, rate reductions were diminished by increasing levels of each initiator, and by adding a chain-transfer agent. Good quantitative agreement was obtained with the number-average length of the growing polymer chains, whether varied by using different initiators, changing initiator level, or adding chain-transfer agent. These results are inconsistent with a chemical mechanism, but they are explained by a proposal originated by North and Reed whereby the dissolved polymer makes the reaction mass a “poorer” solvent for the growing polymer chains, reducing their overall coil dimensions and enhancing their rate of diffusion together for termination.     

Kinetic study of the alternating copolymerization of butadiene and methyl methacrylate

A kinetic investigation of the alternating copolymerization of butadiene and methyl methacrylate with the use of a system of ethylaluminum dichloride and vanadyl chloride as a catalyst was undertaken. The relation between the polymer yield and the molar fraction of methyl methacrylate in the feed was examined by continuous variation of butadiene and methyl methacrylate, the concentrations of total monomer, ethylaluminum dichloride, and vanadyl chloride being kept constant. This continuous variation method revealed that the polymer yield attains its maximum value with a monomer feed containing less than the 0.5 molar fraction of methyl methacrylate. This value of the molar fraction of methyl methacrylate affording the maximum polymer yield decreased on increasing the total monomer concentration but was not changed on varying the concentration of ethylaluminum dichloride. The number of active species estimated from the relation between yield and molecular weight of the polymer was almost constant, regardless of the molar fraction of methyl methacrylate in the feed. Consequently, it can be said that the maximum polymer yield depends mainly on the propagation reaction, not on the initiation reaction or the termination reaction. Three types of the mechanism have been discussed for this alternating copolymerization: polymerization via alternating addition of butadiene and methyl methacrylate complexed with ethylaluminum dichloride by the Lewis-Mayo scheme; polymerization via the ternary intermediate of butadiene, methyl methacrylate, and ethylaluminum dichloride; polymerization via the complex formation of butadiene and methyl methacrylate complexed with ethylaluminum dichloride occurring only at the growing polymer radical. From the kinetic results obtained, it was shown that the first and third schemes are excluded, and polymerization by way of the ternary intermediate is compatible with the data.     

Acrylonitrile Copolymers Using Cobalt Acetylacetonate Triethylaluminum Initiator System. IV. Copolymerization with Styrene

The copolymerization of acrylonitrile with styrene was studied using homogeneous Ziegler-Natta initiator containing cobalt acetylacetonate and triethylaluminum in benzene at 50°C. The overall rate of polymerization shows an interesting dependence on triethylaluminum, monomer, and initiator concentrations. The overall activation energy for the polymerization was found to be 10 kcal/mol. The polymerization was susceptible to inhibition by added hydroquinone. These observations are explained based on a mechanism wherein acrylonitrile competes for complexation with both the catalyst sites and the Lewis acid. The catalyst sites appear to possess both coordinate anionic and free radical characteristics.     

Equilibrium anionic polymerization of α-methylstyrene in p-dioxane

The equilibrium anionic polymerization of α-methylstyrene in p-dioxane, with potassium as initiator, has been investigated at 5, 15, 25, and 40°C by using high-vacuum techniques. The comparison of these results with those obtained previously for the equilibrium polymerization of α-methylstyrene in tetrahydrofuran revealed that, although the values of ΔG_1c, the free-energy change upon the polymerization of 1 mole of liquid monomer to 1 bases-mole of liquid amorphous polymer of infinite chain length, are the same for both systems, there is a distinct effect of the solvent. This effect is reflected in the value of monomer equilibrium concentration and its variation with polymer concentration and is explained in terms of a solvent–monomer and solvent–polymer interaction parameter.     

SET-LRP法制备星型疏水缔合水溶性聚合物

采用丙烯酰胺(AM)、2-丙烯酰胺基-2-甲基丙磺酸钠(NaAMPS)以及N-叔丁基丙烯酰胺(NtBA)为共聚单体,以Cu~0粉/三(2-二甲氨基乙基)胺(Me_6-TREN)为催化体系,四氯化碳(CCl_4)为引发剂,利用单电子转移自由基聚合(SET-LRP)方法合成星型疏水缔合水溶性聚合物P(AM/NtBA/NaAMPS)。采用控制变量法分别考察了引发温度、疏水单体含量、AMPS含量、引发剂用量、催化剂铜、单体浓度等因素对聚合物相对分子质量的影响,确定了最佳聚合条件并考察了聚合物的耐温抗盐性能。结果表明,当单体浓度为35%,引发温度为25℃,AM、AMPS、NtBA分别占单体总量的93.6%、5%、1.4%(摩尔比),引发剂质量分数为0.4942%,催化剂铜的质量分数为0.0848%,钝化剂的质量分数为0.1192%时,所得星型疏水缔合水溶性聚合物P(AM/NtBA/NaAMPS)的相对分子质量出现最高值为267万,同时具有一定的耐温抗盐性,其溶液性能与线型化的P(AM/NtBA/NaAMPS)相似,且在相同浓度下CaCl_2对聚合物表观粘度的影响比NaCl大。     

Anionic graft polymerization and homopolymerization of phenyl glycidyl ether

Phenyl glycidyl ether was found to react with potassium starch alkoxide in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) to give graft polymers in almost quantitative yields, both the monomer and the starch being incorporated completely into the graft polymer. No transfer reactions to monomer or solvent leading to homopolymerization was found. For this reason this system was used as a model for the study of the rate of the graft polymerization of alkylene oxides on starch and other carbohydrates. Comparison of the rates of the graft polymerization of phenyl glycidyl ether on starch alkoxide with that of the homopolymerization by potassium naphthalene in DMSO under comparable conditions showed that the former reaction was much slower. Rates of the graft polymerizations on dextrin and sucrose under comparable conditions, were similar to those obtained with starch. On the other hand, the rates of polymerization on poly(ethylene oxide) alkoxides of different molecular weights were similar to those obtained in the corresponding homopolymerization by potassium naphthalene, showing that neither the molecular weight of the initiator nor the viscosity of the reaction medium were the governing factors. This suggested that the lower rates obtained by using the carbohydrate alkoxides as initiators were connected with the heterogeneity of these reaction systems, the polymeric alkoxide being insoluble in DMSO. The systematic study carried out on the homopolymerization by potassium naphthalene in DMSO showed that the effective initiator was dimsyl anion obtained by interaction of potassium naphthalene with DMSO. The reaction was bimolecular, being first order to monomer and to initiator. The molecular weights increased with increasing monomer concentration and decreasing catalyst concentration, in accordance with a “living” polymerization system.     

Anionic polymerization of methyl methacrylate with Cr(C5H7O2)3–Al(C2H5)3 catalyst system

A homogeneous catalyst system, Cr(C₅H₇O₂)₃–Al(C₂H₅)₃, was used for the polymerization of methyl methacrylate. The yield of polymer increased up to an Al/Cr ratio of 12 and thereafter remained almost constant with increasing Al/Cr. The rate of polymerization increased linearly with increasing catalyst and monomer concentrations at Al/Cr = 12. The molecular weight, however, decreased with increasing catalyst concentration and increased with increasing monomer concentration, indicating anionic polymerization reaction. NMR studies of the polymers indicated the presence of a stereoblock structure, which changed to heteroblock structure in presence of triethylamine and hydroquinone as additives in the catalyst. In the light of these observations, the mechanism of the polymerization is discussed.     

Polymerization of n-octadecene-1 with catalysts derived from titanium tetrachloride and triethylaluminum

The effects of variation in Al/Ti mole ratio, catalyst concentration, reaction time, and temperature on the yield and some physical properties of polymers of n-octadecene-1 obtained with the use of Ziegler catalyst systems derived from titanium tetrachloride and triethylaluminum have been investigated. Results show many features similar to those obtained by other workers with lower olefins. In general, the yield of polymer shows a distinct maximum at an Al:Ti mole ratio of 2.8:1 and total catalyst concentration (at the stated mole ratio) of 4%, based on monomer; the yield increases sharply with polymerization temperature to a maximum at about 40°C. and with time up to about 12 hr. at 25°C. Polymer intrinsic viscosity also shows a strong dependence on Al:Ti mole ratio and catalyst concentration, increasing between Al:Ti mole ratios of 2.0–3.4, and showing a maximum at catalyst concentration of 3.5% on monomer. Polymer intrinsic viscosity shows a decrease with increasing reaction temperature and an increase with time of polymerization. The polymer densities, melting points, and fraction soluble in hexane (at 25°C.) appear to show much less dependence on the variables under consideration, and no firm conclusions are drawn. An important reaction concurrent with polymerization is the formation of a trans nonterminal isomer of octadecene. This certainly affects the yield (the nonterminal isomer not being polymerizable under the same conditions); the effect of the presence during polymerization of isomerized monomer on the physical characteristics of the polymer is less clear, and further work is proceeding.     

Anionic polymerization of 2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-1-oxa-2,5-disilacyclopentane

In the first of a two-part series, a study has been made of the anionic polymerization of a five-membered cyclocarbosiloxane, 2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-1-oxa-2,5-disilacyclopentane. The polymerization was initiated by lithium n-butyldiphenylsilanolate in the presence of tetrahydrofuran. The chemical shifts of the protons of the cyclic monomer and the polymer were found to be different, and therefore the rate of polymerization was obtained in an NMR spectrometer. The effects of varying the concentrations of THF, initiator, and water upon the rate of polymerization and upon the molecular weight and the molecular weight distribution were investigated. At a constant concentration of monomer and initiator, the rate of polymerization increased when the THF concentration was increased. At a constant concentration of monomer and THF the rate of polymerization reached a constant value when the initiator concentration was varied. The molecular weight and the molecular weight distribution were dependent upon the initiator to water ratio, whereas water concentration had little effect on the rate of polymerization. Essentially monodispersed polymers were obtained when the concentration of initiator was in large excess to that of water or vice versa. A bimodal distribution in molecular weight was obtained when the concentration of initiator was approximately equal to that of water. The apparent activation energy of polymerization was 12.7 kcal/mole.     

AM/(2-甲基丙烯酰氧乙基)三甲基氯化铵/2-丙烯酰胺基-2-甲基丙基磺酸钠的反相微乳液共聚合动力学研究

通过实验绘制了失水山梨醇单月桂酸酯(Span20)-聚氧乙烯山梨醇酐单脂酸酯(Tween80)复配乳化剂、丙烯酰胺、(2-甲基丙烯酰氧乙基)三甲基氯化铵、2-丙烯酰胺基-2-甲基丙基磺酸钠和环己烷的拟三元相图.采用过硫酸铵-亚硫酸氢钠氧化还原引发剂,通过动力学研究,得到了聚合反应的表观活化能为68.10 kJ/mol,并分别得到了聚合速率与产物特性粘数的动力学关系式Rp∝[M]1.74[APS]0.60[E]-1.28,[η]∝[M]0.78[APS]-0.23[E]-0.71,分析了单体浓度、引发剂浓度、乳化剂浓度对共聚合反应速率Rp和共聚物特性粘数[η]作用及影响的原因,在动力学研究的基础上初步探讨了聚合机理.     

Model filled polymers. V. Synthesis of crosslinked monodisperse polymethacrylate beads

Monodisperse polymethacrylate beads of varied size and crosslink density are prepared by emulsion copolymerization of methacrylate and divinyl monomers in the absence of emulsifiers. The sizes of polybutyl and polyethyl methacrylate beads decreased with increasing polymerization temperature, while polymethyl methacrylate beads were largely unchanged in size. The molar mass of polymer in polymethyl metnacrylate beads markedly exceeded that in polystyrene beads. The rate of polymerization increased, and bead size decreased, with increasing initiator concentration or decreasing monomer concentration. The polymethacrylate beads are used as filler particles in polymer composites.     

Dispersion copolymerization of styrene with vinylbenzyl-terminated polyoxyethylene macromonomer

Macromonomer with styrenic polymerizable group was synthetized by anionic polymerization of ethylene oxide initiated by potassium vinylbenzyl alcoholate. p-Vinylbenzyl-terminated polyoxyethylene macromonomer (PEO-VB) was then copolymerised with styrene in water/alcohol continuous phase. The resulting polymer is chiefly non soluble in that medium, and the final state is polymer particles in the range 500-1000 nm in diameter stabilized by a macromonomer-rich copolymer. The conversion time curve consists of three regions. The length of nucleation period was inversely proportional to the volume ratio ethanol/water (E/W). The dependence of the polymerization rate (R_p) vs. conversion is described by a curve with two-rate intervals. The rate of polymerization increased with increasing PEO-VB and initiator AIBN concentration but was nearly independent of the volume ratio E/W. The particle number slightly increased with increasing PEO-VB and AIBN concentration. The molecular weight of graft copolymer increased with increasing the volume fraction of water, PEO-VB and AIBN concentration.     

Cationic polymerization of formaldehyde in liquid carbon dioxide. Part I

A cationic polymerization of formaldehyde which gave a high molecular weight polymer was studied in liquid carbon dioxide at 20–50°C. In the polymerization without any catalyst both the rate of polymerization and the molecular weight of the resulting polymer increased rapidly with a decrease in the loading density of the monomer solution to the reaction vessel, and also increased with an increase in the initial monomer concentration. From these results it was concluded that the initiating species could be ascribed to an impurity contained in the monomer solution. Both the rate of polymerization and the degree of polymerization of the polymer also increased with rising temperature. The carboxylic acid added acted as a catalyst in the polymerization because of increase in the polymer yield, the molecular weight of polymer formed, and the number of moles of polymer chain with increasing dissociation constant of acid used. It was concluded that the polymerization in liquid carbon dioxide proceeded by a cationic mechanism. Methyl formate had no influence on the polymerization, but methanol and water acted as a chain-transfer agent.     

NMR studies on the stereospecific polymerization of methyl vinyl ether. Part II. Polymerization by sulfuric acid–aluminum sulfate complex: Enantiomorphic catalyst sites model

Highly crystalline poly(methyl vinyl ether) (PMVE) was produced in toluene in a temperature range of 0 to ?20°C. with the use of sulfuric acid–aluminum sulfate complex (SA catalyst). It was found from the NMR spectra that these polymers contained more than 50% of the triad isotactic fraction and the melting point of the unfractionated polymer was about 130°C. However, PMVE containing a large amount of the isotactic fraction was insoluble in nitromethane, so the triad tacticity of highly crystalline PMVE could not be quantitatively determined. The molecular weight of PMVE increased with increasing conversion and increasing polymerization temperature. This behavior is different from that in metal halide catalysts. Also, the stereoregularity of PMVE decreased with increasing monomer concentration. However, addition of a polar solvent and increasing the polymerization temperature had little effect on the stereoregularity of the polymer. The increase in the isotactic fraction at high catalyst concentration and the difference in the monomer composition in the copolymerization of methyl vinyl ether with 2-chloroethyl vinyl ether by SA catalyst from that obtained by BF₃·O(C₂H₅)₂ suggest that the absorption of MVE on a catalyst surface is an important step in the propagation step by SA catalyst. The fraction of the triad tacticity calculated from the enantiomorphic catalyst sites model⁸ coincided with the experimental results. This fact shows that the steric structure of the adding monomer is determined only by the nature of the catalyst irrespective of the nature of a growing chain end. It is concluded, on considering also the results of the previous paper, that completely different factors can control the steric structure of a polymer even for the same monomer when different catalysts are used.     

反相乳液共聚合制备两性丙烯酰胺共聚物的研究

采用Span80-Tween80复合乳化剂和AIBA引发剂,进行丙烯酸钠(NaAA)/丙烯酰胺(AM)/丙烯酰氧基乙基三甲基氯化铵(DAC)反相乳液共聚合.研究了聚合温度、引发剂用量、单体浓度、共聚单体中DAC和AM含量、乳化剂用量及其HLB值、水/油比和水相pH值等聚合反应工艺条件或参数对聚合反应单体转化率和聚合物特性粘度的影响,聚合物特性粘度随引发剂用量和单体浓度的增大而增大的实验结果证实了该两性丙烯酰胺共聚物反相乳液制备过程中凝胶效应的存在.傅立叶红外光谱组成分析表明了两性丙烯酰胺共聚物的成功合成,扫描电镜观测乳胶粒粒径范围在0.6~8.0μm.     

Photo-initiated polymerization of N-vinylcarbazole in dichloromethane solution containing azobisisobutyronitrile

Azobisisobutyronitrile, as a photosensitizer of the polymerization of N-vinylcarbazole in dichloromethane solution at λ = 366 nm, has also been shown to quench the polymerization that normally occurs in its absence. As the initiator concentration is raised, the polymer yields at first decrease and pass through a minimum before increasing to about twice the initial value, at the solubility limit of the initiator. The product polymers are predominantly formed through a cationic mechanism though a free radical fraction is also evident, particularly at high initiator concentrations. Kinetic mechanisms compatible with the experimental evidence are considered and indicate that the higher molecular weight cationic fraction is formed through the intermediacy of the first excited triplet states of both the monomer, and a complex of the monomer and solvent. Quenching of the former species by azobisisobutyronitrile results in initiation of the polymerization, but quenching of the latter species quenches polymerization. The low molecular weight radical fraction, on the other hand, is considered to be formed through the quenching of the first excited singlet state of the monomer by azobisisobutyronitrile.     

Dispersion polymerization of styrene in ethanol: Monomer partitioning behavior and locus of polymerization

A thermodynamic model has been proposed for the simulation of monomer partitioning behavior in the dispersion polymerization of styrene in ethanol. The monomer concentration in the polymer particles is very low (20 vol% at 5% conversion) and decreases further as the polymerization proceeds. It is independent of stabilizer concentration but is strongly dependent on initial monomer concentration. The partitio n coefficient ([M_p]/[M_c]) of styrene increases from 0.8 to 1.1 with incresing conversion. There are two polymerization loci in dispersion polymerization, namely the continuous and polymer phases. Competition between solution and heterogeneous polymerization has been observed in this system. The rate of dispersion polymerization is dependent on initial monomer concentration but is independent of initiator concentration at higher conversions. The molecular weight of the polymers produced by this process increases with increasing conversion and decreases with increasing initiator concentration.