Carbonyl polymerization ceiling temperature

Progress in the polymerization of the carbonyl linkage did not result until there was an understanding of the effect of ceiling temperature (Tc) on polymerization (Sec. 3-9c). With the major exception of formaldehyde and one or two other aldehydes, carbonyl monomers have low ceiling temperatures (Table 5-13). Most carbonyl monomers have ceiling temperatures at or appreciably below room temperature. The low Tc values for carbonyl polymerizations are due primarily to the AH factor. The entropy of polymerization of the carbonyl double bond in aldehydes is approximately the same as that for the alkene double bond. The enthalpy of polymerization for the carbonyl double bond, however, is appreciably lower. Thus AH for acetaldehyde polymerization is only about 29 kJ mol-1 compared to the usual 80-90 kJ mol-1 for polymerization of the carbon-carbon double bond (Table 3-14) [Hashimoto et al., 1076, 1978],... 

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