Copolymerization azeotropes

The first quantitative model, which appeared in 1971, also accounted for possible charge-transfer complex formation (45). Deviation from the terminal model for bulk polymerization was shown to be due to antepenultimate effects (46). Mote recent work with numerical computation and C-nmr spectroscopy data on SAN sequence distributions indicates that the penultimate model is the most appropriate for bulk SAN copolymerization (47,48). A kinetic model for azeotropic SAN copolymerization in toluene has been developed that successfully predicts conversion, rate, and average molecular weight for conversions up to 50% (49). 

Styrene Copolymers. Acrylonitrile, butadiene, a-methylstyrene, acryUc acid, and maleic anhydride have been copolymerized with styrene to yield commercially significant copolymers. Acrylonitrile copolymer with styrene (SAN), the largest-volume styrenic copolymer, is used in appHcations requiring increased strength and chemical resistance over PS. Most of these polymers have been prepared at the cross-over or azeotropic composition, which is ca 24 wt % acrylonitrile (see Acrylonithile polya rs Copolyp rs). 

In the Type II case, the copolymerization tends toward an alternating arrangement of monomer units. Curve II of Figure 1 shows an example of an alternating copolymer that has an azeotropic copolymer composition, ie, a copolymer composition equal to the monomer feed at a single monomer feed composition. This case is analogous to a constant Foiling mixture ia vapor—Hquid equihbria.T) III... 

During the investigation of the principles governing the process of copolymerization of AN with ISP in DMSO at 30 °C in the presence of ammonium persulfate, it was established that the anisotropic type of copolymerization is characteristic for this pair of monomers. The azeotropic point, as it is seen from Fig. 1 corresponds to a content of 60% of monomeric units of ISP in the monomer mixture. 

Cases have been reported where the application of the penultimate model provides a significantly better fit to experimental composition or monomer sequence distribution data. In these copolymerizations raab "bab and/or C BA rBBA- These include many copolymerizations of AN, 4 26 B,"7 MAH28" 5 and VC.30 In these cases, there is no doubt that the penultimate model (or some scheme other than the terminal model) is required. These systems arc said to show an explicit penultimate effect. In binary copolynierizations where the explicit penultimate model applies there may be between zero and three azeotropic compositions depending on the values of the reactivity ratios.31... 

Azeotropic compositions are rare for terpolymerization and Ham 14 has shown that it follows from the simplified eqs. 38-40 that ternary azeotropes should not exist. Nonetheless, a few systems for which a ternary azeotrope exists have now been described (this is perhaps a proof of the limitations of the simplified equations) and equations for predicting whether an azeotropic composition will exist for copolymerizations of three or more monomers have been formulated.20113 This work also shows that a ternary azeotrope can, in principle, exist even in circumstances where there is no azeotropic composition for any of the three possible binary copolymerizations of tire monomers involved. 

The heterogeneous copolymerization of styrene and acrylonitrile in various diluents as reported by Riess and Desvalois (22). Although the copolymer composition in these studies was not strongly influenced by the diluent choice, the preferential adsorption of acrylonitrile monomer onto the polymer particles shifted the azeotropic copolymerization point from the 38 mole % acrylonitrile observed in solution to 55 mole % acrylonitrile. 

Using copolymerization theory and well known phase equilibrium laws a mathematical model is reported for predicting conversions in an emulsion polymerization reactor. The model is demonstrated to accurately predict conversions from the head space vapor compositions during copolymerization reactions for two commercial products. However, it appears that for products with compositions lower than the azeotropic compositions the model becomes semi-empirical. 

Copolymerizations were performed at 70 C using an ampoule technique similar to that used for MMA. Monomers were purified by distillation. Most of the runs had an initial weight fraction styrene of 0.767 and 1.45 mole % AIBN initiator. Also utilized is one run using 0.235 wt. fraction styrene (0.350 mole % AIBN) and one at 0.557 (1.45 mole % AIBN). Gruber and Knell (10) used both the former compositions. The latter one is the calculated azeotropic composition using their values of the reactivity ratios. 

Bajoras and Makuska investigated the effect of hydrogen bonding complexes on the reactivities of (meth)acrylic and isotonic acids in a binary mixture of dimethyl sulfoxide and water using IR spectroscopy (Bajoras and Makuska, 1986). They demonstrated that by altering the solvent composition it was possible to carry out copolymerization in the azeotropic which resulted in the production of homogeneous copolymers of definite compositions at high conversions. Furthermore, it was shown that water solvent fraction determines the rate of copolymerization and the reactivity ratios of the comonomers. This in turn determines the copolymer composition. 

By virtue of the conditions xi+X2 = 1>Xi+X2 = 1, only one of two equations (Eq. 98) (e.g. the first one) is independent. Analytical integration of this equation results in explicit expression connecting monomer composition jc with conversion p. This expression in conjunction with formula (Eq. 99) describes the dependence of the instantaneous copolymer composition X on conversion. The analysis of the results achieved revealed [74] that the mode of the drift with conversion of compositions x and X differs from that occurring in the processes of homophase copolymerization. It was found that at any values of parameters p, p2 and initial monomer composition x° both vectors, x and X, will tend with the growth of p to common limit x = X. In traditional copolymerization, systems also exist in which the instantaneous composition of a copolymer coincides with that of the monomer mixture. Such a composition, x =X, is known as the azeotrop . Its values, controlled by parameters of the model, are defined for homophase (a) [1,86] and interphase (b) copolymerization as follows... 

Under homophase synthesis in real systems the azeotrop (a) exists only provided n < 1 and r2 < 1. In this case, however, it is a repeller, unlike in the case of interphase copolymerization where the azeotrop (b) is an attractor. This means that at the final stage of homophase copolymerization homopolymer molecules are primarily formed in all real systems whereas under the interphase synthesis the majority of copolymer chains formed at p —> 1 have the azeotropic composition x. ... 

If equimolar quantities of Mi and M2 are used in an azeotropic copolymerization, what is the composition of the feed after 50% of the copolymer has formed ... 

The plots in Fig. 6-2 illustrate an interesting characteristic of copolymerizations with a tendency toward alternation. For values of r and r2 both less than unity, the F /f plots cross the line representing F — j. At these interesections or crossover points the copolymer and feed compositions are the same and copolymerization occurs without a change in the feed composition. Such copolymerizations are termed azeotropic copolymerizations. The condition under which azeotropic copolymerization occurs, obtained by combination of Eq. 6-12 with d[Mi]/ii[M2] = [Mi]/[M2], is... 

Corresponding data for the alternating radical copolymerization of styrene (Mi)-diethyl fumarate (M2)(n = 0.30 and r2 = 0.07) are shown in Figs. 6-6 and 6-7. This system undergoes azeotropic copolymerization at 57 mol% styrene. Feed compositions near the azeotrope yield narrow distributions of copolymer composition except at high conversion where there is a drift to pure styrene or pure fumarate depending on whether the initial feed contains more or less than 57 mol% styrene. The distribution of copolymer compositions becomes progressively wider as the initial feed composition differs more from the azeotropic composition. 

In such cases the polymerization can be taken to relatively high conversion without change in composition of the copolymer formed (see Example 3-37). In the copolymerization diagram the azeotrope corresponds to the intersection point of the copolymerization curve with the diagonal. For example, from Fig. 3.4 it may be seen that in the radical copolymerization of styrene and methyl methacrylate the azeotropic composition corresponds to 53 mol% of styrene. 

Radical Copolymerization of Styrene with Acryionitriie (Azeotropic Copolymerization)... 

Die azeotrope Zusammensetzung fur lineare Copolymere aus Styrol und Fumarsaurediathylester entspricht bei einer Polymerisations-temperatur von 60 bzvv. 131° C einem Molenbruch Styrol von /oA- = 0,57... 

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