Abstract: | The kinetics of cyanomethyl methacrylate (CyMA) homopolymerization was investigated in acetonitrile with azobisisobutyronitrile as initiator. The rate of polymerization Rp was expressed by Rp = kAIBN]0.49CyMA]1.2 and the overall activation energy was calculated as 72.3 kJ/mol. Kinetic constants for CyMA polymerization were obtained as follows: kp/k = 0.10 L1/2s?1/2; 2fkd = 1.57 × 10?5s?. The relative reactivity ratios of CyMA(M2) copolymerization with styrene (r1 = 0.15, r2 = 0.29) and methyl methacrylate (r1 = 0.43, r2 = 0.75) in acetonitrile were obtained. Applying the Q-e scheme (in styrene copolymerization) led to Q = 1.64 and e = 0.98. The glass transition temperature Tg of poly(CyMA) was observed to be 91°C by thermomechanical analysis. Thermogravimetry of poly(CyMA) showed a 10% weight loss at 265°C in air. |