Heterophase polymerization of styrene in the presence of organosilicon compounds of various natures

The heterophase polymerization of styrene has been carried out in the presence of surfactants—organosilicon compounds with different solubilities in aqueous and styrene phases and surface activities at the interface. It has been demonstrated that the stability of polymer suspensions prepared with water-insoluble organosilicon compounds is much higher than that in the presence of organosilicon surfactants soluble in organic and aqueous phases. In the former case, suspensions with narrower particle-size distributions are produced. The stability of polymer microspheres prepared at various monomer-to-water volume ratios has been tested. An increase in the monomer concentration above 25 vol % leads to the loss of system stability.     

Anionic polymerization of styrene in the presence of pyridine

An interesting effect of pyridine on the anionic polymerization of styrene in THF is described. Pyridine forms a complex with living polystyrene and greatly slows the polymerization rate without changing the degree of polymerization. From kinetic and spectroscopic studies, it was clear that there exist two active species in this system and the complex between living polystyrene and pyridine was of the 1:1 type, which itself had a weak ability to grow. The formation constant of the complex K was found to be about 4 × 10⁵ l./mole. The effect of substituted pyridine was also studied and the nature of the complex was discussed.     

Radiation-induced polymerization of styrene in the presence of n-dibutyl disulfide

The γ-radiation-induced polymerization of pure styrene and styrene-n-dibutyl disulfide mixtures has been studied at a number of temperatures and dose rates. Up to 0.04 Mrad/hr the rates were proportional to the square root of the dose rate. By measuring the rates at a number of disulfide concentrations and at three different dose rates, the relative rates of radical formation were determined by kinetic analysis. Considerable energy transfer from the styrene to the disulfide was found. The relative contributions of energy transfer and radical formation were separated by using the kinetic scheme of Nikitina and Bagdasaryan. Values of 8.5 and 3.1 were found for the relative rates of radical production and energy transfer, respectively. This leads to a G (radical) value of 3.1 for n-dibutyl disulfide. With azobisisobutyronitrile as the initiator, the chain transfer constant to the disulfide was determined at 55°C. Finally, the sulfur content of a number of the polymers were determined, an average of two sulfur atoms per polymer chain was found. In general, the rate of polymerization was found to increase in the presence of dibutyl disulfide.     

Radical polymerization of styrene in the presence of C60

Radical polymerizations of styrene in the presence of C₆₀ have been conducted at 90°C in benzene using benzoyl peroxide (BPO) as initiator. The behaviors of C₆₀ are investigated by monitoring BPO concentration, C₆₀ content, and polymerization time. It is found that C₆₀ acts like a radical absorber which multiply absorbs primary radicals from BPO and propagating radicals. Therefore, in the presence of C the yield and molecular weight decrease significantly. However, the molecular weight distribution is narrowed down by its coupling characteristics. At the beginning of the reaction, owing to the radical-absorbing effect of C₆₀, it makes the chain-propagation restricted. However, the number of polystyrene chains added to C₆₀ increases with polymerization time. Direct dilatometric experiment proves that C₆₀ is mainly as inhibitor for radical polymerization of styrene by benzoyl peroxide. Besides, the glass transition temperature (T_g) of the copolymers increases with increasing content of C₆₀. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 2969–2975, 1999     

Anionic polymerization of styrene in the presence of different anisoles

The butyllithium-initiated polymerization of styrene has been studied in toluene solution at 20°C in the presence of anisole, o-ethylanisole, and p-ethylanisole. The concentration of styrene was 0.16 mole/1.; the concentration of ether varied from 0.8 to 0.33 mole/1. The rates of initiation were followed spectrophotometrically at γ_max 330 mμ; they increased with increasing concentration of ether. The rates of propagation were measured dilatometrically. In the presence of anisole and p-ethylanisole, the rate expression is R_p = [M][PLi]^1/2(k₁ + k₂ [ether]), where k₁ is the propagation rate constant in pure hydrocarbon, k₂ that of the ether solvated chain end, and [PLi] denotes the concentration of polystyryllithium. On the contrary, o-ethylanisole did not affect the rate of propagation of styrene, possibly on account of the steric hindrance of the o-ethyl group. The apparent first-order termination rate constants were also determined spectrophotometrically at 20°C and compared to those of poly-o- and p-methoxystyryllithium. The following decreasing order of rate constant was found: poly-p-methoxystyryllithium > polystyryllithium-anisole > polystyryllithium–4-ethylanisole > polystyryllithium-2-ethylanisole > poly-o-methoxystyryllithium.     

Kinetics of styrene emulsion polymerization in the presence of montmorillonite

The effect of the pristine sodium montmorillonite (Na⁺-MMT) on the styrene emulsion polymerizations with different concentrations of SDS ([SDS]) was investigated. At constant [SDS], the polymerization rate is faster for the run with 1 wt.% Na⁺-MMT compared to the counterpart without Na⁺-MMT. Micelle nucleation predominates in the polymerizations with [SDS] ≧ 13 mM. On the other hand, the contribution of the polymerization associated with the Na⁺-MMT platelets increases significantly when [SDS] decreases from 13 to 9 mM. At [SDS] (e.g., 2 mM) < CMC, homogeneous nucleation controls the particle formation process and polymerization kinetics. Moreover, the contribution of the Na⁺-MMT platelets that act as extra reaction loci to the polymerization kinetics is even comparable to the run in the absence of Na⁺-MMT. The resultant polymer particle size, polymer molecular weight and zeta potential were characterized and a preliminary model was developed to qualitatively study the differences between the polymerizations in the presence and absence of 1 wt.% Na⁺-MMT.     

Gamma-ray induced polymerization of styrene in the presence of methanol

The kinetics and molecular weight distributions (MWD) of the gamma-ray induced polymerization of styrene in methanol were studied at 35°C, at low conversions and over a dose rate range of 2.76 × 10³ to 2.74 × 10⁴ rad/hr. The data obtained at low initial methanol content agreed with previously obtained results and the MWD of the polystyrene formed yielded a single unimodal peak with M?_n in the range of 35,000–480,000. However, at high initial methanol content and low dose rates, at least three peaks were clearly discernible over wide molecular weight distributions. The existence of these peaks is related to the kinetic data and the formation of three distinguishable regions in the polymerization system.     

Polymerization of styrene in the presence of organosilicon surfactants of various natures

The properties of polymer suspensions obtained with the use of organosilicon surfactants of various structures are compared. The polymer suspensions are characterized by a narrow particle size distribution and contain functional groups on their surface.     

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.

     

Electroinitiated cationic polymerization of styrene in the presence of ferric chloride

The electroinitiated polymerization of styrene has been studied in acetone with ferric chloride as the electrolyte. At a fixed monomer concentration, the polymer yield depends on the current strength as well as the concentration of ferric chloride. The molecular weight of the polymer lies in the range of 1000–3000. Addition of zinc chloride to the system or replacement of the solvent by DMF (partly or fully) or methanol retards the polymerization. The current exponent of polymerization is unity with a reaction rate constant of 4.416 × 10^?2 reaction percent per hour. The locus of polymerization is the anode compartment. A cationic mechanism has been proposed for the polymerization, the initiating step consisting of an electron transfer from an adsorbed charge transfer complex of styrene and ferric chloride.     

Controlled radical polymerization of styrene in the presence of nitronyl nitroxides

Bulk radical polymerization of styrene in the presence of nitronyl nitroxides (2-(4-substituted phenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-4,5-dihydroimidazolyl-1-oxyl 3-oxide) was studied. All nitronyl nitroxides, like other nitroxyl radicals such as 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine 1-oxyl radical (TEMPO), act as reversible radical scavengers. The efficiency of controlling the polymerization is affected by the substituent at the 4′-position. The efficiency increases with electron donating strength of 4′-substituents, at least at the beginning of the reaction. However, the thermal stability of nitronyl nitroxides decreases in the same order. Thus, TEMPO is more suitable than nitronyl nitroxides for controlled/“living” radical polymerization of styrene.     

Microemulsion polymerization of styrene in the presence of a cationic emulsifier

The principal subject discussed in the current paper is the radical polymerization of styrene in the three- and four component microemulsions stabilized by a cationic emulsifier. Polymerization in the o/w microemulsion is a new polymerization technique which allows to prepare the polymer latexes with the very high particle interface area and narrow particle size distribution. Polymers formed are very large with a very broad molecular weight distribution. In emulsion and microemulsion polymerizations, the reaction takes place in a large number of isolated loci dispersed in the continuous aqueous phase. However, in spite of the similarities between emulsion and microemulsion polymerization, there are large differences caused by the much larger amount of emulsifier in the latter process. In the emulsion polymerization there are three rate intervals. In the microemulsion polymerization only two reaction rate intervals are commonly detected: first, the polymerization rate increases rapidly with the reaction time and then decreases steadily. Essential features of microemulsion polymerization are as follows: (1) polymerization proceeds under non-stationary state conditions; (2) size and particle concentration increases throughout the course of polymerization; (3) chain-transfer to monomer/exit of transferred monomeric radical/radical re-entry events are operative; and (4) molecular weight is independent of conversion and distribution of resulting polymer is very broad. The number of microdroplets or monomer-starved micelles at higher conversion is high and they persist throughout the reaction. The high emulsifier/water ratio ensures that the emulsifier is undissociated and can penetrate into the microdroplets. The presence of a large amount of emulsifier strongly influences the reaction kinetics and the particle nucleation. The mixed mode particle nucleation is assumed to govern the polymerization process. At low emulsifier concentration the micellar nucleation is dominant while at a high emulsifier concentration the interaction-like homogeneous nucleation is operative. Furthermore, the paper is focused on the initiation and nucleation mechanisms, location of initiation locus, and growth and deactivation of latex particles. Furthermore, the relationship between kinetic and molecular weight parameters of the microemulsion polymerization process and colloidal (water/particle interface) parameters is discussed. In particular, we follow the effect of initiator and emulsifier type and concentration on the polymerization process. Besides, the effects of monomer concentration and additives are also evaluated.     

Heterophase polymerization of vinylene carbonate in octane

Results of the study of heterophase polymerization of vinylene carbonate induced by azo-bis-isobutyric acid dinitrile are analyzed. The mechanism of reaction and the polymerization kinetics are considered; the molecular characteristics of polyvinylene carbonate are determined.     

Studies of the radical polymerization of styrene in the presence of polybutadiene

Polymerization of styrene in solutions containing polybutadiene can be used for study of the intermediate stages in the radical polymerization of the monomer.     

Reactive surfactants in heterophase polymerization. VIII. Emulsion polymerization of alkyl sulfopropyl maleate polymerizable surfactants (surfmers) with styrene

The copolymerization of styrene with two polymerizable surfactants (surfmers) based on maleic acid (dodecyl sodium sulfopropyl maleate and tetradecyl sodium sulfopropyl maleate) was studied in batch emulsion polymerizations. The surfmer conversion was obtained by serum replacement with water and subsequent analysis of the recovered, unreacted surfmers with two-phase titration. It was found that both surfmers copolymerized well with styrene and their partial conversion was higher than that of styrene. These results are contradictory to what was found before in the literature using ultrafiltration with methanol, and the differences are explained on the basis of oligomer formation: The oligomers formed are detected if the latices are washed with methanol. It was found that at the end of the polymerization (almost complete conversion of both styrene and surfmer) only 45% of the surfmer groups were present on the particle surface, which is in agreement with a high conversion of the surfmer at the beginning of the reaction. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 35: 2561–2568, 1997