Chain to monomer

Radical Desorption Rate. It is evaluated, according to the law proposed by Nonura (36), as the result of three stages in series Chain transfer of a growing chain to monomer, diffusion of the active, low molecular weight product to the particle surface and diffusion in the aqueous phase. The resulting expression has been extended to the multlconponent case as follows ... 

It is important to note that a local polymerisation process has a macroscopic effect on the average MW and MWD dependence on the initial concentration of reactants. The polymer MW, according to the process kinetics chart [27], is fully determined by the chain-to-monomer transfer and therefore, predicts the independence of the MW and MWD on monomer and catalyst concentrations [21]. Catalyst and monomer solutions are usually introduced irregularly into the reactor and do not have enough time for sufficient mixing with the reacting blend due to high polymerisation reaction rates. It favours further destabilisation of the reactor, wider MWD and lower MW of the final product. 

Table 3.7 Isoprene polymerisation by TiCl4-Al(t-C4H9)3 catalyst, kp is the chain growth reaction rate constant is the concentration of AC k, are chain-to-monomer and chain-to-aluminium-organic compound transfer reaction rate constants respectively, w is the initial polymerisation rate, method 1) traditional, 2) hydrodynamic impact on a separately prepared catalytic system, 3) catalytic system formation in a turbulent mode, and 4) preliminary formation of a reaction mixture in a turbulent mode...

Transfer reactions often only occur to a slight extent and so, cannot be analytically monitored. Nor can the presence of transfer reactions be deduced from kinetic behavior. For transfer from growing polymer chain to monomer, we have for the start reaction... 

Just as it is not necessary for polymer chains to be linear, it is also not necessary for all repeat units to be the same. We have already mentioned molecules like proteins where a wide variety of different repeat units are present. Among synthetic polymers, those in which a single kind of repeat unit are involved are called homopolymers, and those containing more than one kind of repeat unit are copolymers. Note that these definitions are based on the repeat unit, not the monomer. An ordinary polyester is not a copolymer, even though two different monomers, acids and alcohols, are its monomers. By contrast, copolymers result when different monomers bond together in the same way to produce a chain in which each kind of monomer retains its respective substituents in the polymer molecule. The unmodified term copolymer is generally used to designate the case where two different repeat units are involved. Where three kinds of repeat units are present, the system is called a terpolymer where there are more than three, the system is called a multicomponent copolymer. The copolymers we discuss in this book will be primarily two-component molecules. We shall discuss copolymers in Chap. 7, so the present remarks are simply for purposes of orientation. 

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

The wide variety of ketomethylene and amino ketone monomers that could be synthesized, and the abiUty of the quinoline-forming reaction to generate high molar mass polymers under relatively mild conditions, allow the synthesis of a series of polyquinolines with a wide stmctural variety. Thus polyquinolines with a range of chain stiffness from a semirigid chain to rod-like macromolecules have been synthesized. Polyquinolines are most often prepared by solution polymerization of bis(i9-amino aryl ketone) and bis (ketomethylene) monomers, where R = H or C H, in y -cresol with di-y -cresyl phosphate at 135—140°C for a period of 24—48 h (92). 

The newly formed short-chain radical A then quickly reacts with a monomer molecule to create a primary radical. If subsequent initiation is not fast, AX is considered an inhibitor. Many have studied the influence of chain-transfer reactions on emulsion polymerisation because of the interesting complexities arising from enhanced radical desorption rates from the growing polymer particles (64,65). Chain-transfer reactions are not limited to chain-transfer agents. Chain-transfer to monomer is ia many cases the main chain termination event ia emulsion polymerisation. Chain transfer to polymer leads to branching which can greatiy impact final product properties (66). 

As the length and frequency of branches increase, they may ultimately reach from chain to chain. If all the chains are coimected together, a cross-linked or network polymer is formed. Cross-links may be built in during the polymerisation reaction by incorporation of sufficient tri- or higher functional monomers, or may be created chemically or by radiation between previously formed linear or branched molecules (curing or vulcanisation). Eor example, a Hquid epoxy (Table 1) oligomer (low molecular weight polymer) with a 6-8 is cured to a cross-linked soHd by reaction of the hydroxyl and... 

Polymerization and Spinning Solvent. Dimethyl sulfoxide is used as a solvent for the polymerization of acrylonitrile and other vinyl monomers, eg, methyl methacrylate and styrene (82,83). The low incidence of transfer from the growing chain to DMSO leads to high molecular weights. Copolymerization reactions of acrylonitrile with other vinyl monomers are also mn in DMSO. Monomer mixtures of acrylonitrile, styrene, vinyUdene chloride, methallylsulfonic acid, styrenesulfonic acid, etc, are polymerized in DMSO—water (84). In some cases, the fibers are spun from the reaction solutions into DMSO—water baths. 

Mechanisms. Because of its considerable industrial importance as well as its intrinsic interest, emulsion polymerization of vinyl acetate in the presence of surfactants has been extensively studied (75—77). The Smith-Ewart theory, which describes emulsion polymerization of monomers such as styrene, does not apply to vinyl acetate. Reasons for this are the substantial water solubiUty of vinyl acetate monomer, and the different reactivities of the vinyl acetate and styrene radicals the chain transfer to monomer is much higher for vinyl acetate. The kinetics of the polymerization of vinyl acetate has been studied and mechanisms have been proposed (78—82). 

Chain transfer to monomer and to other small molecules leads to lower molecular weight products, but when polymerisation occurs ia the relative absence of monomer and other transfer agents, such as solvents, chain transfer to polymer becomes more important. As a result, toward the end of batch-suspension or batch-emulsion polymerisation reactions, branched polymer chains tend to form. In suspension and emulsion processes where monomer is fed continuously, the products tend to be more branched than when polymerisations are carried out ia the presence of a plentiful supply of monomer. 

End Groups and Branching. Both saturated and unsaturated end groups can be formed during polymerization by chain transfer to monomer or polymer and by disproportionation. Some of the possible chain end groups are... 

Chain transfer to monomer is the main reaction controlling molecular weight and molecular weight distribution. The chain-transfer constant to monomer, C, is the ratio of the rate coefficient for transfer to monomer to that of chain propagation. This constant has a value of 6.25 x lO " at 30°C and 2.38 x 10 at 70°C and a general expression of 5.78 30°C, chain transfer to monomer happens once in every 1600 monomer... 

Glass-Transition Temperature. The T of PVP is sensitive to residual moisture (75) and unreacted monomer. It is even sensitive to how the polymer was prepared, suggesting that MWD, branching, and cross-linking may play a part (76). Polymers presumably with the same molecular weight prepared by bulk polymerization exhibit lower T s compared to samples prepared by aqueous solution polymerization, lending credence to an example, in this case, of branching caused by chain-transfer to monomer. 

Thus, the process of chain polymerization is first-order with respecl to monomer and half-order with respecl to initiator. 

---