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.     

Emulsion polymerization of acrylonitrile. Part I. Role and effect of emulsifiers in the emulsion polymerization of acrylonitrile

The role in and effects on the emulsion polymerization of acrylonitrile (AN) of three different groups of emulsifiers, i.e., low molecular emulsfiers, well-known water-soluble polymers, and new water-soluble polymers containing a sulfonate group have been investigated by a dilatometry and electron microscopy. The major part of this paper concentrates on the study of the relation between the properties of the third group of emulsifiers and emulsion polymerization characteristics of AN such as rate, degree of polymerization, diameter and number of particles, and the degree of dispersion, by adding copolymers of AN and sodium p-styrenesulfonate (SSS) having various compositions. In the emulsion polymerization of AN, the hydrophobic portion of the emulsifier seems to act as a kind of nucleus around which polymer molecules precipitate and particle formation may occur, and the hydrophilic portion stabilizes the polymer particles thus formed. As the number of particles and the degree of dispersion increases, the total surface of the particles increases, which may raise the overall rate of polymerization due mainly to an increased polymerization on the surface of the polymer particles. The well-known emulsifiers may be classified by the properties and ratio of the nucleus portion and the stabilizing portion. The unusual effect of emulsifiers on the degree of polymerization may be explained by a chain-transfer mechanism.     

Topochemical reactions

A survey of topochemical reactions is given and the theory of their kinetics is discussed. The first part of this study [1] deal with the autolocalization, now the factors leading the autolocalization are under consideration.     

Topochemical reactions

A survey of topochemical reactions is given and the theory of their kinetics is discussed.

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Zusammenfassung Eine Übersicht über die topochemische Reaktion wird gegeben und die Theorie ihrer Kinetik erörtert.

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Résumé On présente une étude d'ensemble sur les réactions topochimiques en discutant la théorie de la cinétique.

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This paper was written from a series of lectures read by the author at the First All-Union School on the Chemistry of Solids (Novotsherkask, September 1972).     

Pre-irradiation induced emulsion graft polymerization of acrylonitrile onto polyethylene nonwoven fabric

Acrylonitrile has been widely used in the modification of polymers by graft polymerization. In the present work, pre-irradiation induced emulsion graft polymerization method is used to introduce acrylonitrile onto PE nonwoven fabric instead of the traditional reaction in organic solvents system. The degree of grafting (DG) is measured by gravimetric method and the kinetics of the graft polymerization is studied. The existence of the graft chains is proven by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis. Thermal stability of the grafted polymer is measured by Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA).     

Chain transfer reactions in emulsion polymerization of butadiene/styrene

Calculation of regulating index r from M̄_W values determined by experiments is proposed. The calculation is based on the assumption that the M̄_W values only depend on the conversion and the regulating index in emulsion polymerization. On this basis the calculation of regulator concentration in the latex particles was also possible. M̄_W values calculated in this way and experimental M̄_W values show good agreement.     

Phase-Transfer catalyzed free-radical polymerization of acrylonitrile

The kinetics of phase-transfer catalyzed free-radical polymerization of acrylonitrile (AN) was carried out with water-soluble initiator peroxomonosulphate (PMS) with phase-transfer catalysts (tetrabutylammonium chloride and benzyltributylammonium chloride (TBAC and BTBAC) in tolune/water two-phase systems in the temperature range of 45–55°C at fixed pH (4) and ionic strength. The rates of polymerization (R_p) were evaluated at various values of [PMS], [PTC], and [AN]. It has been observed that the rates of polymerization increase with an increase of [AN], [PMS], and [PTC]. A kinetic scheme has been proposed to account for the experimental observations. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Kinetics of emulsion polymerization

The quantitative theory of the free-radical mechanism in emulsion polymerization is reexamined. A mechanism involving desorption and reabsorption of radicals is discussed. The average number of radicals per particle has been calculated as a function of three parameters. A simplified, approximate solution for the average number of radicals per particle is given for cases where this number is low.     

The initiation of polymerization by organometallic compounds—II. The polymerization of acrylonitrile with titanium tetradimethylamide and related reactions

The polymerization of acrylonitrile initiated by titanium tetradimethylamide is described and discussed in some detail. A mechanism, which adequately accounts for the behaviour observed, is suggested; the kinetic consequences of the scheme are related to the experimental data. Some information about comparable reactivities of other transition metal compounds and other monomers is recorded.     

Topochemical polymerization of a diarylbutadiyne derivative in the gel and solid states

A diarylbutadiyne derivative was synthesized using a few steps and gelified in aromatic solvents. The gel prepared at low concentration is made of micrometers-long nanofibrils as shown by scanning electron microscopy. XRD of the dried gel shows sharp features, revealing a well-organized material. A topochemical reaction was performed on the dried gel, and a polydiacetylene presenting reversible thermochromism properties was obtained.     

Inverse emulsion polymerization of acrylamide. I. Contribution to the study of some mechanistic aspects

The inverse emulsion polymerization of aqueous solution of acrylamide in toluene has been studied at 40°C using a blend of surfactants as emulsifying system and oil soluble azo initiators. The azo compound partition between the phases has been measured and the effects of their nature and concentration on the polymerization kinetics have been investigated. The influence of other parameters on the kinetics and particle size of the inverse latex have also been investigated: the nature and amount of the emulsifier system, the stirring rate, and the presence of oil-soluble inhibitor. The particle-size analysis using electron microscopy or dynamic light-scattering methods showed the presence of two populations of particles in the initial monomer emulsion and in the final inverse latex: one with very tiny particles (20 nm diam) and the other with larger particles (80–400 nm diam) which is highly polydispersed. The average size of these large particles undergoes a sharp decrease at a certain percent conversion depending upon the stirring rate. The evolution of the particle size distribution may result from a balance between coalescence and dispersion of the emulsion droplets under the effect of prevailing shear rate due to agitation. Concerning the initiation process, the very low solubility of the azo compound in the aqueous solution, together with the effect of the stirring rate and the presence of an oil-soluble inhibitor on the polymerization kinetics lead to the conclusion that most of the initiaton originates from the capture of radicals or oligomeric radicals produced in the oil phase or in the interfacial layer.     

On acrylonitrile polymerization in the presence of zinc salts

Acrylonitrile polymerization photoinitiated at 365 nm by pyrene and/or azobisisobutyronitrile in the presence of zinc salts in N,N-dimethylformamide solution has been studied by the rotating sector method. It was found that the ratio of the rate constants for propagation and termination (k_p/k_t) increases on addition of zinc salts (chloride, nitrate, acetate). This increase was more pronounced for the azobisisobutyronitrile photoinitiated polymerization of acrylonitrile then for its pyrene photoinitiated polymerization. The results confirm the previously expressed view concerning the dual role of zinc chloride in initiation as well as in propagation steps of acrylonitrile polymerization photoinitiated by aromatic hydrocarbons.

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, 365 / N,N- . , (k_p/k_t) ( , , ). , . , , , .

     

Stereochemistry of photoinitiated emulsion polymerization

The tacticity of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) samples made by emulsion polymerization (EP) has been determined by NMR spectroscopy at higher resolution than any previous study. When photoinitiation is employed at room temperature, the polymer obtained is highly syndiotactic and more stereoregular than that obtained in homogeneous radical polymerization under the same conditions. The percentage of racemic dyads and the length of racemic sequences vary significantly with the degree of conversion and the temperature, but not with variation of the hydrophobic or the hydrophilic part of the detergent molecules. A magnetic field of 5 kG or less accelerates the polymerization reaction and increases the polymer molecular weight when dibenzyl ketone is employed as oil-soluble photoinitiator, and has an indirect influence on the polymer tacticity. From measurements of the temperature dependence of the polymer steric composition, the difference of activation enthalphy and entropy of the meso and racemic additions have been calculated. The values do not follow the correlations from precedent literature for radical polymerization in solution if the reaction is considered a first-order Markov process. The persistence ratio p depends on the detergent and the temperature of the EP; in some cases its difference from unity exceeds the experimental error. These results are interpreted as a conformational effect of the locus of the polymerization in the first stage of the EP (when micelles are present) that favors the racemic addition more than is expected in a homologous solvent such as an alkane, e.g., at the same temperature.     

Effect of Cu(II)/H2 Salen complex on the non-conventional initiated emulsion polymerization of acrylonitrile

Radical polymerization of acrylonitrile was carried out in an emulsifier-free condition initiated by KHSO₅ catalyzed with Cu(II)/bis-salicylidene ethylene diamine (H₂ Salen) complex. The Cu(II) salt alone, Cu(II)/salicylaldehyde and Cu(II)/ethylene diamine have a retarding effect on the polymerization reaction, while the chelate of Cu(II) with the tetradentate Schiff base ligand, H₂ Salen has a catalytic effect. Prior to this, the catalytic effect of various bivalent transition metal salts and their couple with the Schiff base, H₂ Salen on the polymerization reaction has been examined to be not significant. The in situ developed complex produces the stable emulsion leading to high conversion. In the polymerization, the variables studied were the concentration of monomer, initiator, Cu(II), H₂ Salen and temperature. The overall activation energy was computed to be 13.1 kcal/mol. From the kinetic and spectral analyses, the mechanism of the initiator decomposition and initiation of polymerization by Cu(II)/H₂ Salen complex were suggested. The rate of polymerization (R_p) was found to be dependent on the monomer, initiator, Cu(II) ion, H₂ Salen concentrations to the 1.4, 0.3, 1.6, 1.5 power respectively. The polymers are characterized by IR and molecular weight by viscosity and GPC methods.     

Ionic polymerization in aqueous emulsion

A kinetic study of the anionic polymerization of octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D₄) in aqueous emulsion has been carried out in the presence of ionic additives. The rate of polymerization of several cyclosiloxanes has been compared, leading to additional evidence for an interfacial mechanism of polymerization. The emulsion process has been applied to the cationic polymerization of D₄ and of tetramethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D^H₄) initiated by dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid. Very efficient for the synthesis of linear polymethylhydrogenosiloxanes (PMHS), these conditions did not seem suitable for the polymerization of D₄. The extension of the process to other heterocyclic monomers is discussed through the anionic polymerization of phenylglycidylether.     

Characterization of acrylonitrile polymerization by dilatometry and modeling

Solution polymerization of acrylonitrile was investigated in N,N′‐dimethylformamide with various azo‐ and peroxo‐initiators. Investigations were carried out in a concentration range of initiatior from 0.0016 mol/l up to 0.0160 mol/l, constant acrylonitrile concentration of 3.8 mol/l and temperatures from 40°C up to 70°C. The computer combined dilatometric equipment for long time and high conversion investigations was used for estimation of the conversion‐time‐reaction. By means of obtained data a mathematical model was created. The model describes sufficiently precise acrylonitrile polymerization kinetics in N,N′‐dimethylformamide with various initiators in the used range of concentrations and temperatures.