| Abstract: | Copolymerization of vinylene carbonate (VCA) with methyl trifluoroacrylate (MTFA) was carried out by gamma rays from 60Co at dose rates of 1 × 105 rad/h to 1 × 106 rad/h, temperatures of 0°C to 75°C, and molar ratios MTFA/VCA of 30/70 to 90/10 in the monomer mixture. By irradiation, VCA reacted with MTFA to give a white powder copolymer with low molecular weight. The copolymerization rate has a maximum at a concentration of 70 mol % VCA, and is proportional to the 0.92 power of dose rate. The apparent activation energy was 1.3 kcal/mol. Equimolar copolymer was obtained at molar ratio MTFA/VCA of 50/50 to 10/90. The reactivity ratios of both monomers, VCA and MTFA, were determined to be r(VCA) = 0.3 and r(MTFA) = 0.07, respectively. |
