Concentration of monomer

Throughout this section we have used mostly p and u to describe the distribution of molecular weights. It should be remembered that these quantities are defined in terms of various concentrations and therefore change as the reactions proceed. Accordingly, the results presented here are most simply applied at the start of the polymerization reaction when the initial concentrations of monomer and initiator can be used to evaluate p or u. The termination constants are known to decrease with the extent of conversion of monomer to polymer, and this effect also complicates the picture at high conversions. Note, also, that chain transfer has been excluded from consideration in this section, as elsewhere in the chapter. We shall consider chain transfer reactions in the next section. 

Polymerization begins in the aqueous phase with the decomposition of the initiator. The free radicals produced initiate polymerization by reacting with the monomers dissolved in the water. The resulting polymer radicals grow very slowly because of the low concentration of monomer, but as they grow they acquire surface active properties and eventually enter micelles. There is a possibility that they become adsorbed at the oil-water interface of the monomer... 

They also reported a kp value of 1.2 X 10 liter mol sec but the concentrations of monomer in each run were not given. Use these value of... 

Soum and Fontanillet prepared a living polymer of 2-vin yl pyridine using benzyl picolyl magnesium as the initiator. The values of were measured experimentally for polymers prepared with different concentrations of initiator and different initial concentrations of monomer. The results are given below calculate the theoretical molecular weights expected if polymerization proceeds completely from 100% predissociated initiator and compare the theoretical and experimental values ... 

Water-soluble initiator is added to the reaction mass, and radicals are generated which enter the micelles. Polymerization starts in the micelle, making it a growing polymer particle. As monomer within the particle converts to polymer, it is replenished by diffusion from the monomer droplets. The concentration of monomer in the particle remains as high as 5—7 molar. The growing polymer particles require more surfactant to remain stable, getting this from the uninitiated micelles. Stage I is complete once the micelles have disappeared, usually at or before 10% monomer conversion. 

During Stage II the growing particles maintain a nearly constant monomer concentration. The concentration of monomer is particle-size dependent, with smaller particles having lower concentrations (28). 

Initia.tors, The initiators most commonly used in emulsion polymerization are water soluble although partially soluble and oil-soluble initiators have also been used (57). Normally only one initiator type is used for a given polymerization. In some cases a finishing initiator is used (58). At high conversion the concentration of monomer in the aqueous phase is very low, leading to much radical—radical termination. An oil-soluble initiator makes its way more readily into the polymer particles, promoting conversion of monomer to polymer more effectively. 

Depending on the final polymerization conditions, an equilibrium concentration of monomers (ca 8%) and short-chain oligomers (ca 2%) remains (72). Prior to fiber spinning, most of the residual monomer is removed. In the conventional process, the molten polymer is extmded as a strand, solidified, cut into chip, washed to remove residual monomer, and dried. In some newer continuous processes, the excess monomer is removed from the molten polymer by vacuum stripping. 

In general monomeric products are readily hydrolysed but associated species (containing 4-coordinate B) are much more stable e.g. (Mc2NBH2)2 does not react with H2O at 50° but is rapidly hydrolysed by dilute HCl at 110° because at this temperature there is a significant concentration of monomer present. 

In the homogeneous Dimersol process, the olefin conversion is highly dependent on the initial concentration of monomers in the feedstock, which limits the applicability of the process. The biphasic system is able to overcome this limitation and promotes the dimerization of feedstock poorly concentrated in olefinic monomer. 

The rate of an ideal emulsion polymerization is given by Eqn (4). In this expression [/] is the initiator concentration, [ ] is the emulsifier concentration, and [M] is the concentration of monomer within the forming latex particles. This value is constant for a long reaction period until all the monomer droplets disappear within the water phase. 

Let us consider the conditions which favor the formation and survival of the dimeric and polymeric radical ions. This might be achieved by keeping the concentration of monomer high, the concentration of monomer" ions low and by removing the radical ions as rapidly as possible from the zone containing the primary electron donors. Moreover, since the radical ions dimerize, their average life time increases as their concentration decreases. The following experiment should probably produce the best results. 

A stream of monomer (or mixture of monomers) is made to flow rapidly over the surface of an alkali metal. If the reaction with the metal is sufficiently slow, a low concentration of monomer" ions will result. In view of the high concentration of the monomer, the monomeric" ions would add further monomer to form the dimeric and polymeric radical ions. Of course, the final product is not a radical, but it would result from a polymerization which took place to some extent on the radical ends. The mixture of monomers may be recirculated many times to increase the conversion and a solvent may be added to the system when necessary. 

Lack of termination in a polymerization process has another important consequence. Propagation is represented by the reaction Pn+M -> Pn+1 and the principle of microscopic reversibility demands that the reverse reaction should also proceed, i.e., Pn+1 -> Pn+M. Since there is no termination, the system must eventually attain an equilibrium state in which the equilibrium concentration of the monomer is given by the equation Pn- -M Pn+1 Hence the equilibrium constant, and all other thermodynamic functions characterizing the system monomer-polymer, are determined by simple measurements of the equilibrium concentration of monomer at various temperatures. 

Fig. 1. Comparison of experimental and theoretical values of Mc at free-radical copolymerization of AAm with MBAA as a crosslinking agent CT — total concentration of monomers, C — that of MBAA C = 10 wt% (/), CT = 6.7 g dl-1 (2). From Baselga et al. [18]...

The concentration of monomers in the aqueous phase is usually very low. This means that there is a greater chance that the initiator-derived radicals (I ) will undergo side reactions. Processes such as radical-radical reaction involving the initiator-derived and oligomeric species, primary radical termination, and transfer to initiator can be much more significant than in bulk, solution, or suspension polymerization and initiator efficiencies in emulsion polymerization are often very low. Initiation kinetics in emulsion polymerization are defined in terms of the entry coefficient (p) - a pseudo-first order rate coefficient for particle entry. 

Most values of / have been measured at zero or low conversions. During polymerization the viscosity of the medium increases and the concentration of monomer decreases dramatically as conversion increases (i.e. as the volume fraction of polymer increases). The value of / is anticipated to drop accordingly. 32, u 9j % For example, with S polymerization in 50% (v/v) toluene at 70 °C initialed by 0.1 M AIBN the instantaneous" / w as determined to vary from 76% at low conversion to <20% at 90-95% conversion (Figure 3.3).32 The assumption that the rate of initiation (kAf) is invariant with conversion (common to most pre 1990s and many recent kinetic studies of radical polymerization) cannot be supported. 

As with other forms of living radical polymerization, the degree of polymerization and the molecular weight can be estimated from the concentration of monomer and reagents as shown in eqs. 13 and 14 respectively. 183... 

The effect of catalysis by trifluoroacetic acid on chlorination in carbon tetrachloride has also been determined272. For 1,2,4,5-tetramethylbenzene, with low concentrations of catalyst, the order in catalyst is three-halves, but for toluene (which requires a higher concentration) the order is mixed three- and five-halves the indication is, therefore, that a minimum of three catalyst monomers (or one monomer and one dimer) are necessary. Since trifluoroacetic acid is very likely to be dimeric in carbon tetrachloride, the concentration of monomer is pro-... 

Reaction rate functions expressing rate of polymerization R generally depend upon the molar concentrations of monomer and Initiator, and temperature. 

The inlet concentration of monomer and initiator were each separately varied in a very slow sinusoidal manner. The Dj, was again predicted to increase in comparison with the non-perturbed case, but they concluded that different results might be observed with regard to the magnitude and direction of the change in the polydispersity under non-isothermal conditions. 

The y-radiation-induced grafting of diethylene glycol dimethacrylate and its mixture with (3-hydroxy ethyl methacrylate in ethanol-water systems onto silicone rubber has been reported [ 164]. The grafting yield increases as the radiation dose, concentration of monomer and concentration of transfer agent increase. At the same radiation dose, the degree of grafting decreases, as the dose level increases. However, at the same dose rate, the grafhng level increases with radiation dose. 

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