Acrylamide polymerization, free

Acrylamide polymerization by radiation proceeds via free radical addition mechanism [37,38,40,45,50]. This involves three major processes, namely, initiation, propagation, and termination. Apart from the many subprocesses involved in each step at the stationary state the rates of formation and destruction of radicals are equal. The overall rate of polymerization (/ p) is so expressed by Chapiro [51] as ... 

N-(hydroxymethyl)acrylamide, N,N-dimethylacrylamide, and methacrylamide) were carried out in emulsifier-free aqueous media. When either of the former three acrylamides were used, the copolymerization course was divided into three srages on the basis of the main reaction locus. At first acrylamides polymerized preferentially in the aqueous phase. After the particle formation styrene... 

Under certain conditions, such false monomeric units can be the major portion of the polymerized linkages in ionic polymerizations. For example, acrylamide is polymerized free radically to poly(acrylamide), but, anionically, by proton shift, to poly()8-alanine) ... 

Most studies have dealt either with the free radical polymerization of hydrophobic monomers—e.g., styrene [56-89], methyl methacrylate (MMA) [68,73,74,84,86,90-93] or derivatives [2,94,97], and butyl acrylate (BA) [98-100]—within the oily core of O/W microemulsions or with the polymerization of water-soluble monomers such as acrylamide (AM) within the aqueous core of W/O microemulsions [101-123]. In the latter case, the monomer is a powder that has to first be dissolved in water (1 1 mass ratio) so that the resulting polymer particles are swollen by water, in contrast with O/W latex particles, where the polymer is in the bulk state. The polymerization can be initiated thermally, photochemically, or under )>-radiolysis. The possibility of using a coulometric initiation for acrylamide polymerization in AOT systems was also reported [120]. Besides the conventional dilatometric and gravimetric techniques, the polymerization kinetics was monitored by Raman spectroscopy [73,74], pulsed UV laser source [72,78], the rotating sector technique [105,106], calorimetry, and internal reflectance spectroscopy [95]. 

Commercially, aciylamide is formed from aciylonitrile by reaction with water. Similarly, the preferred commercial route to methaciylamide is through methacrylonitrile. Acrylamide polymerizes by a free-radical mechanism. Water is the common solvent for acrylamide and methacrylamide polymerizations, because the polymers precipitate out from organic solvents. 

Acrylamide is polymerized free radically in acidified aqueous solution to produce poly(acrylamide) with the monomeric unit, I (see below). At temperatures above 140° C, structures 11 and 111 are formed by ammonia elimination and inter- or intramolecular imidation. When the medium is too strongly alkaline, the amide groups are saponiHed to carboxyl groups. In the polymerization of acrylamide with strong bases in organic solvents, however, poly()3-alanine) is produced with the monomeric unit, IV ... 

Polymerization, Properties, and Applications. Acrylamide is polymerized free-radically in aqueous acid solution. At too high a polymerization temperature, imide structures, and hence cross-linking, occur. When the... 

As shown in Chapter 1, the initiation step in free radical polymerization can be rate limited either by decomposition of the initiator or diffusion-controlled initiation of decomposed radicals with the first monomer. Automatic continuous online monitoring of polymerization reactions (ACOMP) was used to experimentally observe the crossover between decomposition control and diffusion control of the initiation step. The crossover was observed both among potassium persulfate initiated acrylamide (Am) free radical polymerization reactions at different concentrations of Am and in single reactions. There is no appreciable chain transfer in this particular polymerization. 

Crosslinks with celltrlose erosslirrking agents (formaldehyde, dialdehyde, diisocyanate, halohydrin). It will also graft polymerize and crosslink vir l polymers and crosslirtking agents (MBAA, methylene bis acrylamide) by free radical initiators. 

Studies had been done in SHS to observe the effect of various parameters on wave-front velocity and product morphology. Among the parameters studied were the green (unreacted) density and particle sizes of the reactants. All the systems so far considered use liquid monomers or solid monomers in solution. Relatively little work has been done with solid monomers. Pojman et al, demonstrated frontal acrylamide polymerization with a variety of free-radical initiators (72). Savostyanov et al. studied transition metal complexes of acrylamide without initiator (73). No studies were performed on the effect of particle size and/or green density. We therefore investigated those two factors to compare to work done in intermetallic SHS systems. 

Kinetics of the oxidation of ascorbic acid (AA) by di- /-hydroxobis[(dioxalato-cobaltate(III)] ion has been obtained. Lack of acrylamide polymerization indicated that free radicals are not important in this reaction. The data have been interpreted in terms of an outer-sphere mechanism via an ion-pair intermediate. ... 

It might be noted that most (not all) alkenes are polymerizable by the chain mechanism involving free-radical intermediates, whereas the carbonyl group is generally not polymerized by the free-radical mechanism. Carbonyl groups and some carbon-carbon double bonds are polymerized by ionic mechanisms. Monomers display far more specificity where the ionic mechanism is involved than with the free-radical mechanism. For example, acrylamide will polymerize through an anionic intermediate but not a cationic one, A -vinyl pyrrolidones by cationic but not anionic intermediates, and halogenated olefins by neither ionic species. In all of these cases free-radical polymerization is possible. 

Polyacrylamides are manufactured by free-radical polymerization of acrylamide to form chains of the stmcture shown, where n can range from several up to 400,000. 

Acrylamide—acrylic polymers are made by free-radical polymerization of monomers containing the acryHc stmcture, where R is —H or —CH and is —NH2 or a substituted amide or the alkoxy group of an ester. 

The most commonly used combination of chemicals to produce a polyacrylamide gel is acrylamide, bis acrylamide, buffer, ammonium persulfate, and tetramethylenediarnine (TEMED). TEMED and ammonium persulfate are catalysts to the polymerization reaction. The TEMED causes the persulfate to produce free radicals, causing polymerization. Because this is a free-radical driven reaction, the mixture of reagents must be degassed before it is used. The mixture polymerizes quickly after TEMED addition, so it should be poured into the gel-casting apparatus as quickly as possible. Once the gel is poured into a prepared form, a comb can be appHed to the top portion of the gel before polymerization occurs. This comb sets small indentations permanently into the top portion of the gel which can be used to load samples. If the comb is used, samples are then typically mixed with a heavier solution, such as glycerol, before the sample is appHed to the gel, to prevent the sample from dispersing into the reservoir buffer. 

Free radical polymerization is a key method used by the polymer industry to produce a wide range of polymers [37]. It is used for the addition polymerization of vinyl monomers including styrene, vinyl acetate, tetrafluoroethylene, methacrylates, acrylates, (meth)acrylonitrile, (meth)acrylamides, etc. in bulk, solution, and aqueous processes. The chemistry is easy to exploit and is tolerant to many functional groups and impurities. 

Acrylamide readily undergoes polymerization by conventional free radical methods, ionizing radiation, ultrasonic waves, and ultraviolet radiation. The base-cata-lized hydrogen transfer polymerization of acrylamide yields poly-/3-alanine (Nylon 3) a water insoluble polymer that is soluble in certain hot organics. All current industrial production is believed to be by free radical polymerization. 

In the case of photoinitiated polymerization, an oxygen-free aqueous solution of acrylamide with a concentration of about 50% mixed with a photosensibilizer and other required additives is passed through a column-type apparatus with exterior water-cooling. A thin layer of the solution is exposed to a mercury lamp, acquires the consistency of a plastic film, which then can be passed through a second exposure zone, and is crushed and dried. Acrylamide polymers produced by this method are easily soluble and have a low residual monomer content. 

The polymerization of acrylamide in aqueous solutions in the presence of alkaline agents leads to the ob-tainment of partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide. The polymerization process under the action of free radicals R (formed on the initiator decomposition) in the presence of OH ion formed on the dissociation of an alkali addition (NaOH, KOH, LiOH), and catalyzing the hydrolysis can be described by a simplified scheme (with Me = Na, K, Li) ... 

Acrylamide is polymerized by the conventional free radical initiators, e.g., peroxides [27,28], redox pairs [29-33], and azo compounds [34]. Electro-chemical initi-... 

MAIs may also be formed free radically when all azo sites are identical and have, therefore, the same reactivity. In this case the reaction with monomer A will be interrupted prior to the complete decomposition of all azo groups. So, Dicke and Heitz [49] partially decomposed poly(azoester)s in the presence of acrylamide. The reaction time was adjusted to a 37% decomposition of the azo groups. Surface active MAIs (M, > 10 ) consisting of hydrophobic poly(azoester) and hydrophilic poly(acrylamide) blocks were obtained (see Scheme 22) These were used for emulsion polymerization of vinyl acetate—in the polymerization they act simultaneously as emulsifiers (surface activity) and initiators (azo groups). Thus, a ternary block copolymer was synthesized fairly elegantly. 

Generation of radicals by redox reactions has also been applied for synthesizing block copolymers. As was mentioned in Section II. D. (see Scheme 23), Ce(IV) is able to form radical sites in hydroxyl-terminated compounds. Thus, Erim et al. [116] produced a hydroxyl-terminated poly(acrylamid) by thermal polymerization using 4,4-azobis(4-cyano pentanol). The polymer formed was in a second step treated with ceric (IV) ammonium nitrate, hence generating oxygen centered radicals capable of starting a second free radical polymeriza-... 

Polyacrylics are produced by copolymerizing acrylonitrile with other monomers such as vinyl acetate, vinyl chloride, and acrylamide. Solution polymerization may be used where water is the solvent in the presence of a redox catalyst. Free radical or anionic initiators may also be used. The produced polymer is insoluble in water and precipitates. Precipitation polymerization, whether self nucleation or aggregate nucleation, has been reviewed by Juba. The following equation is for an acrylonitrile polymer initiated by a free radical ... 

Lignin, brown coal polymer of methacrylic acid, methacrylamide, hydroxyethyl acrylate, hydroxypropyl acrylate, vinyl acetate, methyl vinyl ether, ethyl vinyl ether, N-methylmeth-acrylamide, N,N-dimethylmethacrylamide, vinyl sulfonate, or 2-acrylamido-N-methylpropane sulfonic acid free radical polymerization of a water-soluble vinyl monomer in an aqueous suspension of coals [705,1847]... 

Moore and Hemmens [119] studied the photosensitization of primaquine and other antimalarial agents. The drugs were tested for in vitro photosensitizing capability by irradiation with 365 nm ultraviolet light in aqueous solutions. The ability of these compounds to photosensitize the oxidation of 2,5-dimethylfuran, histidine, trypotophan, or xanthine, and to initiate the free radical polymerization of acrylamide was examined in the pH range 2 12. Primaquine does not have significant photochemical activity in aqueous solution. 

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