Radical copolymerization of acrylic monomers. VI. Copolymerization of methyl methacrylate with methyl α-benzylacrylate

Free-radical copolymerization of methyl methacrylate and methyl α-benzylacrylate has been studied in benzene solutions at 40 and 60°C. A simple copolymerization model fits the composition data at both temperatures. However, considering that the ceiling temperature for the polymerization of methyl α-benzylacrylate in benzene solution (|M| = 5 mol/L) is 67°C and that the overall rate of copolymerization drastically decreases with respect to that of methyl methacrylate homopolymerization with an increase of the molar fraction of methyl α-benzylacrylate in the feed, the behavior of this system is analyzed from both simple and reversible copolymerization models.