Copolymerization weight

Schemes for classifying surfactants are based upon physical properties or upon functionality. Charge is tire most prevalent physical property used in classifying surfactants. Surfactants are charged or uncharged, ionic or nonionic. Charged surfactants are furtlier classified as to whetlier tire amphipatliic portion is anionic, cationic or zwitterionic. Anotlier physical classification scheme is based upon overall size and molecular weight. Copolymeric nonionic surfactants may reach sizes corresponding to 10 000-20 000 Daltons. Physical state is anotlier important physical property, as surfactants may be obtained as crystalline solids, amoriDhous pastes or liquids under standard conditions. The number of tailgroups in a surfactant has recently become an important parameter. Many surfactants have eitlier one or two hydrocarbon tailgroups, and recent advances in surfactant science include even more complex assemblies [7, 8 and 9].

Styrene-butadiene rubber is prepared from the free-radical copolymerization of one part by weight of styrene and three parts by weight of 1,3-butadiene. The butadiene is incorporated by both 1,4-addition (80%) and 1,2-addition (20%). The configuration around the double bond of the 1,4-adduct is about 80% trans. The product is a random copolymer with these general features ... 

Although acetonitrile is one of the more stable nitriles, it undergoes typical nitrile reactions and is used to produce many types of nitrogen-containing compounds, eg, amides (15), amines (16,17) higher molecular weight mono- and dinitriles (18,19) halogenated nitriles (20) ketones (21) isocyanates (22) heterocycles, eg, pyridines (23), and imidazolines (24). It can be trimerized to. f-trimethyltriazine (25) and has been telomerized with ethylene (26) and copolymerized with a-epoxides (27). 

The T of a polymer can be altered by the copolymerization of two or more monomers. The approximate T value for copolymers can be calculated from a knowledge of the weight fraction W of each monomer type and the T (in degees kelvin) of each homopolymer (12). 

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). 

Emulsion Process. The emulsion polymerization process utilizes water as a continuous phase with the reactants suspended as microscopic particles. This low viscosity system allows facile mixing and heat transfer for control purposes. An emulsifier is generally employed to stabilize the water insoluble monomers and other reactants, and to prevent reactor fouling. With SAN the system is composed of water, monomers, chain-transfer agents for molecular weight control, emulsifiers, and initiators. Both batch and semibatch processes are employed. Copolymerization is normally carried out at 60 to 100°C to conversions of - 97%. Lower temperature polymerization can be achieved with redox-initiator systems (51). 

An example of a commercial semibatch polymerization process is the early Union Carbide process for Dynel, one of the first flame-retardant modacryhc fibers (23,24). Dynel, a staple fiber that was wet spun from acetone, was introduced in 1951. The polymer is made up of 40% acrylonitrile and 60% vinyl chloride. The reactivity ratios for this monomer pair are 3.7 and 0.074 for acrylonitrile and vinyl chloride in solution at 60°C. Thus acrylonitrile is much more reactive than vinyl chloride in this copolymerization. In addition, vinyl chloride is a strong chain-transfer agent. To make the Dynel composition of 60% vinyl chloride, the monomer composition must be maintained at 82% vinyl chloride. Since acrylonitrile is consumed much more rapidly than vinyl chloride, if no control is exercised over the monomer composition, the acrylonitrile content of the monomer decreases to approximately 1% after only 25% conversion. The low acrylonitrile content of the monomer required for this process introduces yet another problem. That is, with an acrylonitrile weight fraction of only 0.18 in the unreacted monomer mixture, the low concentration of acrylonitrile becomes a rate-limiting reaction step. Therefore, the overall rate of chain growth is low and under normal conditions, with chain transfer and radical recombination, the molecular weight of the polymer is very low. 

There are two main advantages of acrylamide—acryUc-based flocculants which have allowed them to dominate the market for polymeric flocculants in many appHcation areas. The first is that these polymers can be made on a commercial scale with molecular weights up to 10—15 million which is much higher than any natural product. The second is that their electrical charge in solution and the charge density can be varied over a wide range by copolymerizing acrylamide with a variety of functional monomers or by chemical modification. 

The monomer can also be copolymerized with acrylamide. Because of the high chain-transfer rate of aUyflc radicals, the molecular weights tend to be lower than for acryflc polymers. These polymers are sold either as a viscous solution or a dry powder made by suspension polymeriza tion (see Allyl monomers AND POLYPffiRS). 

Uses. Besides polymerizing TFE to various types of high PTEE homopolymer, TEE is copolymerized with hexafluoropropylene (29), ethylene (30), perfluorinated ether (31), isobutylene (32), propylene (33), and in some cases it is used as a termonomer (34). It is used to prepare low molecular weight polyfluorocarbons (35) and carbonyl fluoride (36), as well as to form PTEE m situ on metal surfaces (37). Hexafluoropropylene [116-15-4] (38,39), perfluorinated ethers, and other oligomers are prepared from TEE. 

Tetiafluoioethylene—peifluoiopiopyl vinyl ethei copolymeis [26655-00-5] aie made in aqueous (1,2) oi nonaqueous media (3). In aqueous copolymerizations water-soluble initiators and a perfluorinated emulsifying agent are used. Molecular weight and molecular weight distribution are controlled by a chain-transfer agent. Sometimes a second phase is added to the reaction medium to improve the distribution of the vinyl ether in the poljmier (11) a buffer is also added. 

In nonaqueous copolymerization, fluorinated acyl peroxides are used as initiators that are soluble in the medium (12) a chain-transfer agent may be added for molecular weight control. 

High molecular weight polymers or gums are made from cyclotrisdoxane monomer and base catalyst. In order to achieve a good peroxide-curable gum, vinyl groups are added at 0.1 to 0.6% by copolymerization with methylvinylcyclosiloxanes. Gum polymers have a degree of polymerization (DP) of about 5000 and are useful for manufacture of fluorosiUcone mbber. In order to achieve the gum state, the polymerization must be conducted in a kineticaHy controlled manner because of the rapid depolymerization rate of fluorosiUcone. The expected thermodynamic end point of such a process is the conversion of cyclotrisdoxane to polymer and then rapid reversion of the polymer to cyclotetrasdoxane [429-67 ]. Careful control of the monomer purity, reaction time, reaction temperature, and method for quenching the base catalyst are essential for rehable gum production. 

G-5—G-9 Aromatic Modified Aliphatic Petroleum Resins. Compatibihty with base polymers is an essential aspect of hydrocarbon resins in whatever appHcation they are used. As an example, piperylene—2-methyl-2-butene based resins are substantially inadequate in enhancing the tack of 1,3-butadiene—styrene based random and block copolymers in pressure sensitive adhesive appHcations. The copolymerization of a-methylstyrene with piperylenes effectively enhances the tack properties of styrene—butadiene copolymers and styrene—isoprene copolymers in adhesive appHcations (40,41). Introduction of aromaticity into hydrocarbon resins serves to increase the solubiHty parameter of resins, resulting in improved compatibiHty with base polymers. However, the nature of the aromatic monomer also serves as a handle for molecular weight and softening point control. 

AlkyUithium compounds are primarily used as initiators for polymerizations of styrenes and dienes (52). These initiators are too reactive for alkyl methacrylates and vinylpyridines. / -ButyUithium [109-72-8] is used commercially to initiate anionic homopolymerization and copolymerization of butadiene, isoprene, and styrene with linear and branched stmctures. Because of the high degree of association (hexameric), -butyIUthium-initiated polymerizations are often effected at elevated temperatures (>50° C) to increase the rate of initiation relative to propagation and thus to obtain polymers with narrower molecular weight distributions (53). Hydrocarbon solutions of this initiator are quite stable at room temperature for extended periods of time the rate of decomposition per month is 0.06% at 20°C (39). 

Comonomers can be used to create a variety of polymer stmctures that can impart desirable properties. For example, even higher molecular weight PPS polymers can be produced by the copolymerization of a tri- or tetrafunctional comonomer (18). The resultant polymer molecules can have long-chain branching, which can be used to tailor the rheological response of the polymer to the appHcation. 

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. 

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