Premium
On the gel effect in the presence of a chain transfer agent in methyl methacrylate polymerization and its copolymerization with various acrylates
Author(s) -
Wang X.,
Ruckenstein E.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.1993.070491214
Subject(s) - copolymer , polymer chemistry , methyl methacrylate , polymerization , chain transfer , transfer agent , catalytic chain transfer , monomer , acrylate , methyl acrylate , materials science , chemistry , radical polymerization , polymer , organic chemistry
The kinetics of methyl methacrylate (MMA) polymerization, and of its copolymerization with various acrylates, at high conversions in the presence of a chain transfer agent, are investigated with a dilatometer over the entire course of reaction. The displacement to higher conversions of the onset of the gel effect in the MMA homopolymerization, in the presence of a chain transfer agent, was determined. Similar information is also provided for the MMA‐acrylate copolymerization systems. An increase in polymerization temperature slightly delays the onset of the gel effect in the MMA‐acrylate copolymerization, but considerably increases the final conversion. The final conversion in copolymerization for a constant concentration of the chain transfer agent is independent of the initiator concentration, but is a function of the polymerization temperature. The reaction time for reaching the limiting conversion in copolymerization is increased with an increasing amount of the second monomer, as well as with an increasing number of carbon atoms in the acrylate used as the second monomer. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.