Ionic Initiation

ESBR and SSBR are made from two different addition polymerisation techniques one radical and one ionic. ESBR polymerisation is based on free radicals that attack the unsaturation of the monomers, causing addition of monomer units to the end of the polymer chain, whereas the basis for SSBR is by use of ionic initiators (qv). 

The free radical initiators are more suitable for the monomers having electron-withdrawing substituents directed to the ethylene nucleus. The monomers having electron-supplying groups can be polymerized better with the ionic initiators. The water solubility of the monomer is another important consideration. Highly water-soluble (relatively polar) monomers are not suitable for the emulsion polymerization process since most of the monomer polymerizes within the continuous medium, The detailed emulsion polymerization procedures for various monomers, including styrene [59-64], butadiene [61,63,64], vinyl acetate [62,64], vinyl chloride [62,64,65], alkyl acrylates [61-63,65], alkyl methacrylates [62,64], chloroprene [63], and isoprene [61,63] are available in the literature. 

When propylene is polymerized with free radicals or some ionic initiators, a mixture of three stereo-forms results (Figure 11-1)/° These forms are... 

Polymer chains containing more than one type of monomer can be synthesised by selecting suitable monomers A and B and initiating the polymerization process using free radical or ionic initiators. The process is called copolymerization. The copolymer can exhibit better qualities than the parent homopolymer. 

A kinetic chain reaction usually consists of at least three steps (1) initiation, (2) propagation, and (3) termination. The initiator may be an anion, a cation, a free radical, or a coordination catalyst. Although coordination catalysts are the most important commercially, the ionic initiators will be discussed first in an attempt to simplify the discussion of chain-reaction polymerization. 

Both the initiation step and the propagation step are dependent on the stability of the carbocations. Isobutylene (the first monomer to be commercially polymerized by ionic initiators), vinyl ethers, and styrene have been polymerized by this technique. The order of activity for olefins is Me2C=CH2 > MeCH=CH2 > CH2=CH2, and for para-substituted styrenes the order for the substituents is Me—O > Me > H > Cl. The mechanism is also dependent on the solvent as well as the electrophilicity of the monomer and the nucleophi-licity of the gegenion. Rearrangements may occur in ionic polymerizations. 

Unlike the carbonyl linkage, the carbon-carbon double bond undergoes polymerization by both radical and ionic initiators. The difference arises because the re-bond of a vinyl monomer can respond appropriately to the initiator species by either homolytic or heterolytic bond breakage ... 

Nitriles have been polymerized by radical and ionic initiators. The polymer structures are often quite complex, although anionic polymerization yields the cleanest reaction [Wohrle, 1972, 1983 Wohrle and Knothe, 1988],... 

Ring-opening polymerizations are generally initiated by the same types of ionic initiators previously described for the cationic and anionic polymerizations of monomers with carbon-carbon and carbon-oxygen double bonds (Chap. 5). Most cationic ring-opening polymerizations involve the formation and propagation of oxonium ion centers. Reaction... 

Stereospecific polymerization has particular significance for the preparation of stereoregular polymeric dienes. In the radical polymerization of butadiene or isoprene the molecular chains always consist of varying proportions of adjacent cis- and trans-1,4-units as well as 1,2- and 3,4- linked units, depending on the polymerization conditions but it is now possible, using particular ionic initiation systems to make a synthetic natural rubber that contains more than 90% cfs-l,4-isoprene repeating units (see Example 3-21). 

The last of the direct methods for graft initiation in liquid phase presented in this review involves chemical additives. Either free radical or ionic initiators can be chosen. Benzoyl peroxide is reported for grafting styrene on Nylon fibers in methanol media (71,105-107), as well as vinyl acetate (106). Azoisobutyro-nitrile has been employed in systems where the graft monomer is styrene (71,106) or vinyl acetate (106). Redox systems involving hydrogen peroxide and monomers like styrene (106,108,109). vinyl acetate (106), acrylic acid (108,109), methyl... 

While the radical polymerization methods have been used in the past quite extensively to initiate grafting onto a cellulose backbone, ionic initiation techniques have attracted attention only recently. 

It should be stressed that the initial copolymer formed by the addition of two monomers to an ionic initiator is expected to be a block polymer because in ionic polymerization it is common to find kAA and kBA, i.e. 

RESINS (Acetal). These are thermoplastic resins, obtainable both as homopolymers and copolymers, and produced principally from formaldehyde or formaldehyde derivative. Acetal resins have the highest fatigue endurance of commercial thermoplastics. A variety of ionic initiators, such as tertiary amines and quaternary ammonium salts, are used to effect polymerization of formaldehyde. Chain transfer, shown by the following reactions, controls the molecular weight of resulting resins ... 

The instability of PVDC is one of the reasons why ionic initiation of VDC polymerization has not been used extensively. Many of the common catalysts either react with the polymer or catalyze its degradation. 

The methods which were so far described are all based on radical or ionic initiation of the propagation of a polymer chain, either from side groups or from the terminal groups. 

Qualitative evidence that ionic species were significant intermediates was obtained from a study of the radiation induced polymerisation of isobutene28,29. Since this monomer was known to be readily polymerised by ionic initiators, polymerisation by 2 MeV electrons at —80 °C seemed to indicate the existence of ionic intermediates. However, the polymerisation was inhibited by oxygen and benzoquinone which are known to be inhibitors for free radical polymerisations. It was subsequently suggested30 that polymerisation was caused by the positive ion (CH3)3C+ produced by the reactions... 

Ionic initiators are much more specific toward the type of monomer and can initiate polymerization in some cases where radical initiation is ineffective (cyclic, vinyl ether, or allylic monomers). Monomers suitable for anionic initiation are those with an electron-withdrawing substituent attached to the double bond (phenyl, carbonyl, etc.). The reaction consists... 

Table 2.16 Some examples of ionic initiation reactions... 

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