Kinetics of the solution polymerization of dioxolane in the presence of water

Water acts as a cocatalyst in the polymerization of dioxolane initiated by the ion pair ～Si^⊕HSO₄^?. The dependence of the reaction rate on the water concentration exhibits a maximum, the width of which strongly depends on the concentration of dioxolane. The change of the coordinates of the maximum and its shape with the decrease of the monomer concentration causes the reaction rate to decrease with increasing conversion. The point at which the slope of the conversion curve changes is a function of initial concentration of water. There is a very fast decrease of the concentration of free water in the polymerizing system. The consumption of water is associated with some peculiarities. The amount of free water which remains in the system is a function of the concentration of the original initiator. The ratio H₂O]_∞/initiator] is constant over a rather broad range of initial concentration of water.