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Continuous Distribution Kinetics for Photopolymerization of Alkyl Methacrylates
Author(s) -
Vinu Ravikrishnan,
Madras Giridhar
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
macromolecular reaction engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.37
H-Index - 32
eISSN - 1862-8338
pISSN - 1862-832X
DOI - 10.1002/mren.200900032
Subject(s) - photopolymer , methacrylate , kinetics , alkyl , polymer chemistry , materials science , chemistry , polymer , polymerization , organic chemistry , composite material , physics , quantum mechanics
The photopolymerization of methyl, ethyl, butyl, and hexyl methacrylates in solution was studied. The effect of initial initiator and monomer concentrations on the time evolution of polymer concentration, $\overline M _{\rm n}$ , and PDI was examined. The reversible chain addition and β ‐scission, and primary radical termination steps were included in the mechanism along with the classical steps. The rate equations were derived using continuous distribution kinetics and solved numerically to fit the experimental data. The regressed rate coefficients compared well with the literature data. The model predicted the instantaneous increase in $\overline M _{\rm n}$ and PDI to steady state values. The rate coefficients exhibited a linear increase with the size of alkyl chain of the alkyl methacrylates.