| Abstract: | Graft copolymerization of styrene on rubber containing chlorine, e.g., chloroprene rubber (CR) and chlorosulfonated polyethylene (Hypalon), with chromous acetate (Cr2+) was carried out in DMF–THF mixed solvent at 50°C. From the kinetic study, the normal kinetic orders with respect to the concentration of initiator and monomer were obtained at low concentrations of CR, but the deviation from conventional first-order to second-order kinetics with respect to the monomer concentration was observed at high CR concentrations: Rp ∝ [CR]1/2 [Cr2+]1/2[styrene]1 (at low CR concentration); Rp ∝ [CR]1/2 [Cr2+]1/2[styrene]1 (at high CR concentration). This result was explained in terms of the high viscosity of the reaction medium due to the rubber contained in solution. An initiation site along the polymer chain was assumed from the graft copolymerization with three kinds of CR having different microstructures. The results of fractionation of obtained polymer showed that the graft efficiency was high but a large amount of gel was formed. |
