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A kinetics approach to non‐linear polymerization
Author(s) -
Galina Henryk
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
makromolekulare chemie. macromolecular symposia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.257
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1521-3900
pISSN - 0258-0322
DOI - 10.1002/masy.19900400107
Subject(s) - polymerization , monomer , kinetics , copolymer , polymer , polymer chemistry , chemistry , thermodynamics , materials science , organic chemistry , physics , classical mechanics
Three formal equations are presented that describe the time dependence of the size distribution of polymer species in the tree‐like homopolymerization of f ‐functional monomer, the copolymerization of 3‐ and 2‐functional monomers and the homo‐polymerization of 3‐functional monomer with cyclization taken into account. The equations have the form of the Smoluchowski coagulation equation extended to take into account substitution effects that may alter the reactivities of functional groups. Average degrees of polymerization up to gel point can relatively easily be extracted from the proposed equations. The results, illustrating applications of the kinetics approach, confirm that statistical theories are inadequate to model kinetically‐controlled polymerization reactions if substitution effects are present.