| Abstract: | The influence of initiator and activator concentrations on the anionic polymerization of ϵ-caprolactam and, in particular, on the methanol – extractable fraction of the final polymer has been widely studied. Due to the increasing interest of this polymerization in the field of reaction injection molding (RIM) technology, a thorough investigation has been also carried out to find the best experimental conditions for this reaction in the mold. The effect of postpolymerization annealing on the overall amount of low-molecular mass substances, among which cyclic oligomers, has been evaluated. Thermal properties as well as crystallinity of the resultant materials have been examined. A comparison with literature data is given; the suggested correlation between the amount of the oligomeric fraction and the molecular arrangement of the polymer in the solid state is discussed. |
