The kinetics of the polymerization of methyl methacrylate initiated by t-butylmagnesium bromide in THF, toluene or mixed solvent

✍ Scribed by P.E.M. Allen; C. Mair; D.R.G. Williams; E.H. Williams

• Book ID: 103071416
• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1984
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 574 KB
• Volume: 20
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0014-3057
• DOI: 10.1016/0014-3057(84)90196-4

✦ Synopsis

The kinetics of the solution polymerization of methyl methacrylate in THF, toluene and their mixtures were studied between 200 and 300 K using dilatometry (in the systems where it was valid), gravimetric determination and monitoring monomer and polymer concentrations by NM R spectrometry. The reaction followed zero order kinetics at 200 K, first order kinetics at 275 K and mixed order in between. At both the limits and intermediate range, the reaction followed an integrated rate equation consistent with terminationless propagation proceeding through a complex between monomer and the propagating species. Above 275 K, termination and side reactions were evident and the yields of high mol. wt polymer were small. Density temperature calibrations for monomer in THF, toluene and mixtures were constructed for the range 190-283 K. However for polymerizations in toluene-rich mixtures, where very high mol. wt polymer lbrms, the contraction did not correlate linearly with conversion.