Chain length reactions

Chain reactions, essentially polymerizations, can be achieved with medium doses, as a result of the chemical amplification by purely thermal processes of radiation-induced initiation (Scheme 2). Processes involving single steps or short kinetic chain length reactions require much higher doses.This is generally the case for the radiation cross-linking of rubbers and thermoplastics. 

When the reaction is applied to dicarboxamides of suitable chain length, reaction of one amide group may be followed by ring closure to yield the acylurea. For example, 4,5-imidazoledicarboxamide gives xanthine 121... 

The microstructural properties that we address are chain length, number of monomer units of one kind (copolymer), number of branch points, number of unsaturated bonds, and number of reactive monomer units (end groups in polycondensation). Problems may require solution of one or more of these properties simultaneously. Here, we will denote this as the dimensionality of the problem at hand. For instance, growth in addition polymerization can be described by a simple 1D (chain length) reaction equation and population balance. 

Reaction of 57 with dihalogenoalkanes is reported to give not only the expected dithioether (58) but also the bicyclic salt (59) (Scheme 26) (118). This reaction should depend on the alkyl chain length. 

One of the most sensitive tests of the dependence of chemical reactivity on the size of the reacting molecules is the comparison of the rates of reaction for compounds which are members of a homologous series with different chain lengths. Studies by Flory and others on the rates of esterification and saponification of esters were the first investigations conducted to clarify the dependence of reactivity on molecular size. The rate constants for these reactions are observed to converge quite rapidly to a constant value which is independent of molecular size, after an initial dependence on molecular size for small molecules. The effect is reminiscent of the discussion on the uniqueness of end groups in connection with Example 1.1. In the esterification of carboxylic acids, for example, the rate constants are different for acetic, propionic, and butyric acids, but constant for carboxyUc acids with 4-18 carbon atoms. This observation on nonpolymeric compounds has been generalized to apply to polymerization reactions as well. The latter are subject to several complications which are not involved in the study of simple model compounds, but when these complications are properly considered, the independence of reactivity on molecular size has been repeatedly verified. 

The three-step mechanism for free-radical polymerization represented by reactions (6.A)-(6.C) does not tell the whole story. Another type of free-radical reaction, called chain transfer, may also occur. This is unfortunate in the sense that it complicates the neat picture presented until now. On the other hand, this additional reaction can be turned into an asset in actual polymer practice. One of the consequences of chain transfer reactions is a lowering of the kinetic chain length and hence the molecular weight of the polymer without necessarily affecting the rate of polymerization. 

Chain transfer reactions to monomer and/or solvent also occur and lower the kinetic chain length without affecting the rate of polymerization ... 

In writing Eqs. (7.1)-(7.4) we make the customary assumption that the kinetic constants are independent of the size of the radical and we indicate the concentration of all radicals, whatever their chain length, ending with the Mj repeat unit by the notation [Mj ], This formalism therefore assumes that only the nature of the radical chain end influences the rate constant for propagation. We refer to this as the terminal control mechanism. If we wished to consider the effect of the next-to-last repeat unit in the radical, each of these reactions and the associated rate laws would be replaced by two alternatives. Thus reaction (7. A) becomes... 

The overall effect, aside from the change in the polymer composition, is a decrease in the rate of monomer reaction, the kinetic chain length, and the polymer molecular weight (83). 

Solutions of NaBH in methanol, and to a lesser degree ethanol, are subject to a similar decomposition reaction that evolves hydrogen these solutions can be stabilized by alkaU. The solubiUty of NaBH in lower aUphatic alcohols decreases as the carbon chain length increases, but the stabiUty increases. Solutions in 2-propanol and /-butanol are stable without alkaU (22,24). 

An important descriptor of a chain reaction is the kinetic chain length, ie, the number of cycles of the propagation steps (eqs. 2 and 3) for each new radical introduced into the system. The chain length for a hydroperoxide reaction is given by equation (10) where HPE = efficiency to hydroperoxide, %, and 2/ = number of effective radicals generated per mol of hydroperoxide decomposed. For 100% radical generation efficiency, / = 1. For 90% efficiency to hydroperoxide, the minimum chain length (/ = 1) is 14. 

Butane. The VPO of butane (148—152) is, in most respects, quite similar to the VPO of propane. However, at this carbon chain length an important reaction known as back-biting first becomes significant. There is evidence that a P-dicarbonyl intermediate is generated, probably by intramolecular hydrogen abstraction (eq. 32). A postulated subsequent difunctional peroxide may very well be the precursor of the acetone formed. 

DiisononylPhthalate andDiisodeeylPhthalate. These primary plasticizers are produced by esterification of 0x0 alcohols of carbon chain length nine and ten. The 0x0 alcohols are produced through the carbonylation of alkenes (olefins). The carbonylation process (eq. 3) adds a carbon unit to an alkene chain by reaction with carbon monoxide and hydrogen with heat, pressure, and catalyst. In this way a Cg alkene is carbonylated to yield a alcohol a alkene is carbonylated to produce a C q alcohol. Due to the distribution of the C=C double bond ia the alkene and the varyiag effectiveness of certain catalysts, the position of the added carbon atom can vary and an isomer distribution is generally created ia such a reaction the nature of this distribution depends on the reaction conditions. Consequendy these alcohols are termed iso-alcohols and the subsequent phthalates iso-phthalates, an unfortunate designation ia view of possible confusion with esters of isophthaUc acid. 

The main reason that the decreases as the polymerization temperature increases is the increase in the initiation and termination reactions, which leads to a decrease in the kinetic chain length (Fig. 17). At low temperature, the main termination mechanism is polystyryl radical coupling, but as the temperature increases, radical disproportionation becomes increasingly important. Termination by coupling results in higher PS than any of the other termination modes. 

If the initiation reaction is much faster than the propagation reaction, then all chains start to grow at the same time. Because there is no inherent termination step, the statistical distribution of chain lengths is very narrow. The average molecular weight is calculated from the mole ratio of monomer-to-initiator sites. Chain termination is usually accompHshed by adding proton donors, eg, water or alcohols, or electrophiles such as carbon dioxide. 

Copolymers with butadiene, ie, those containing at least 60 wt % butadiene, are an important family of mbbers. In addition to synthetic mbber, these compositions have extensive uses as paper coatings, water-based paints, and carpet backing. Because of unfavorable reaction kinetics in a mass system, these copolymers are made in an emulsion polymerization system, which favors chain propagation but not termination (199). The result is economically acceptable rates with desirable chain lengths. Usually such processes are mn batchwise in order to achieve satisfactory particle size distribution. 

Equation 20 is the rate-controlling step. The reaction rate of the hydrophobes decreases in the order primary alcohols > phenols > carboxylic acids (84). With alkylphenols and carboxylates, buildup of polyadducts begins after the starting material has been completely converted to the monoadduct, reflecting the increased acid strengths of these hydrophobes over the alcohols. Polymerization continues until all ethylene oxide has reacted. Beyond formation of the monoadduct, reactivity is essentially independent of chain length. The effectiveness of ethoxylation catalysts increases with base strength. In practice, ratios of 0.005—0.05 1 mol of NaOH, KOH, or NaOCH to alcohol are frequendy used. 

Termination. The conversion of peroxy and alkyl radicals to nonradical species terminates the propagation reactions, thus decreasing the kinetic chain length. Termination reactions (eqs. 7 and 8) are significant when the oxygen concentration is very low, as in polymers with thick cross-sections where the oxidation rate is controlled by the diffusion of oxygen, or in a closed extmder. The combination of alkyl radicals (eq. 7) leads to cross-linking, which causes an undesirable increase in melt viscosity. 

Radical Scavengers Hydrogen-donating antioxidants (AH), such as hindered phenols and secondary aromatic amines, inhibit oxidation by competing with the organic substrate (RH) for peroxy radicals. This shortens the kinetic chain length of the propagation reactions. 

The pify of the leaving group and the hydrophobe chain length can dramatically affect the efficiency of the perhydrolysis reaction. Additionally, the stmcture of the acid portion of the precursor can affect the yield and sensitivity of the reaction to pH. The mono-4-hydroxybenzenesulfonic acid ester of a-decylsuccinic acid (13) undergoes extremely efficient perhydrolysis at much lower pHs than other peracid precursors, eg, decanoyloxybenzene sulfonate (14). This may be because of the neighboring group participation of the adjacent carboxylate as shown in Table 2 (115). 

The urea—formaldehyde reaction results in a distribution of methylene urea (MU) polymers of varying molecular weights or polymer chain lengths and of varying water solubiUty. 

Physical and Chemical Properties. The reaction of urea and formaldehyde forms a white soHd. The solubihty varies with the methylene urea polymer chain length longer-chain, higher molecular-weight UF polymers are less water-soluble than short-chain polymers. Physical properties of the methylene urea polymers which have been isolated are compared to urea in Table 1. 

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