Free-radically initiated chain reaction

As with other chain reactions, free radical polymerization is a rapid reaction which consists of the characteristic steps of initiation, propagation, and termination. Free radical initiators are produced by the homolytic cleavage of covalent bonds as well as numerous radiation-associated methods. 

Fig. 56. Directed graph of a rooted tree from a linear chain polymerized by a chain reaction (free radical polymerization). I denotes the initiator, E the terminated chain end106)...

Cumene hydroperoxide formation. The formation of the hydroperoxide proceeds by a free radical chain reaction. A radical initiator abstracts a hydrogen-free radical from the molecule, creating a tertiary free radical. The creation of the tertiary free radical is the initial step in the reaction. 

Free-Radical Chain Reactions. Free-radical chain reactions are sensitive to two types of catalysis a catalyst may increase the rate of initiation of chains by introducing an additional initiation pathway or may lead to new chain propagation steps. For example a chain reaction involving S(IV) and 02 can be initiated by a number of alternative pathways ... 

Oxidation. Atmospheric oxygen can oxidize polymer chains through the well known peroxide and hydroperoxide chain reaction. Free radicals have to be initiated to start this chain, and these are often formed by UV light. In practice it is usually necessary to incorporate some form of UV absorber and antioxidant in a polymeric material for service out of doors. 

Suspension polymerization of VDE in water are batch processes in autoclaves designed to limit scale formation (91). Most systems operate from 30 to 100°C and are initiated with monomer-soluble organic free-radical initiators such as diisopropyl peroxydicarbonate (92—96), tert-huty peroxypivalate (97), or / fZ-amyl peroxypivalate (98). Usually water-soluble polymers, eg, cellulose derivatives or poly(vinyl alcohol), are used as suspending agents to reduce coalescence of polymer particles. Organic solvents that may act as a reaction accelerator or chain-transfer agent are often employed. The reactor product is a slurry of suspended polymer particles, usually spheres of 30—100 pm in diameter they are separated from the water phase thoroughly washed and dried. Size and internal stmcture of beads, ie, porosity, and dispersant residues affect how the resin performs in appHcations. 

Reactions involving the peroxodisulfate ion are usually slow at ca 20°C. The peroxodisulfate ion decomposes into free radicals, which are initiators for numerous chain reactions. These radicals act either thermally or by electron transfer with transition-metal ions or reducing agents (79). 

Alkanes can be simultaneously chlorinated and chlorosulfonated. This commercially useful reaction has been appHed to polyethylene (201—203). Aromatics can be chlorinated on the ring, and in the presence of a free-radical initiator alkylaromatic compounds can be chlorinated selectively in the side chain. King chlorination can be selective. A patent shows chlorination of 2,5-di- to 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid free of the toxic... 

The chlorination of toluene in the absence of catalysts that promote nuclear substitution occurs preferentially in the side chain. The reaction is promoted by free-radical initiators such as ultraviolet light or peroxides. Chlorination takes place in a stepwise manner and can be controlled to give good yields of the intermediate chlorination products. Small amounts of sequestering agents are sometimes used to remove trace amounts of heavy-metal ions that cause ring chlorination. 

Free-radical initiation of the chain reaction of oxidation can arise from the action of heat, light, metal ions and, sometimes, ozone on a variety of chemical moieties such as those indicated in Table 7.4. 

The allylic bromination of an olefin with NBS proceeds by a free-radical chain mechanism. The chain reaction initiated by thermal decomposition of a free-radical initiator substance that is added to the reaction mixture in small amounts. The decomposing free-radical initiator generates reactive bromine radicals by reaction with the N-bromosuccinimide. A bromine radical abstracts an allylic hydrogen atom from the olefinic subsfrate to give hydrogen bromide and an allylic radical 3 ... 

As mentioned in an earlier section (cf. Chapter 1, Section III), allylic positions are subject to attack by free radicals resulting in the formation of stable allyl radicals. A-Bromosuccinimide (NBS) in the presence of free-radical initiators liberates bromine radicals and initiates a chain reaction bromination sequence by the abstraction of allylic or benzylic hydrogens. Since NBS is also conveniently handled, and since it is unreactive toward a variety of other functional groups, it is usually the reagent of choice for allylic or benzylic brominations (7). 

Branching occurs especially when free radical initiators are used due to chain transfer reactions (see following section, Free Radical Polymerizations ). For a substituted olefin (such as vinyl chloride), the addition primarily produces the most stable intermediate (I). Intermediate (II) does not form to any appreciable extent ... 

There is less information available in the scientific literature on the influence of forced oscillations in the control variables in polymerization reactions. A decade ago two independent theoretical studies appeared which considered the effect of periodic operation on a free radically initiated chain reaction in a well mixed isothermal reactor. Ray (11) examined a reaction mechanism with and without chain transfer to monomer. 

The monomers used in chain polymerisations are unsaturated, sometimes referred to as vinyl monomers. In order to carry out such polymerisations a small trace of an initiator material is required. These substances readily fragment into free radicals either when heated or when irradiated with electromagnetic radiation from around or just beyond the blue end of the spectrum. The two most commonly used free radical initiators for these reactions are benzoyl peroxide and azobisisobutyronitrile (usually abbreviated to AIBN). They react as indicated in Reactions 2.1 and 2.2. 

Hydrogen halides will easily add to unsaturated compounds under radiolysis or photolysis. The free-radical chain reaction process is initiated by the dissociation of the halide or by the radiolytic production of radicals from the halide or the organic compound. Thus, for the radiolysis of a mixture of HBr and ethene the postulated initiation is... 

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