Reactivity monomer

Table 1. Relationships Between Monomer Reactivity, Carbanion Stability, and Suitable Initiators...

GopolymeriZation Initiators. The copolymerization of styrene and dienes in hydrocarbon solution with alkyUithium initiators produces a tapered block copolymer stmcture because of the large differences in monomer reactivity ratios for styrene (r < 0.1) and dienes (r > 10) (1,33,34). In order to obtain random copolymers of styrene and dienes, it is necessary to either add small amounts of a Lewis base such as tetrahydrofuran or an alkaU metal alkoxide (MtOR, where Mt = Na, K, Rb, or Cs). In contrast to Lewis bases which promote formation of undesirable vinyl microstmcture in diene polymerizations (57), the addition of small amounts of an alkaU metal alkoxide such as potassium amyloxide ([ROK]/[Li] = 0.08) is sufficient to promote random copolymerization of styrene and diene without producing significant increases in the amount of vinyl microstmcture (58,59). 

In the most common production method, the semibatch process, about 10% of the preemulsified monomer is added to the deionised water in the reactor. A shot of initiator is added to the reactor to create the seed. Some manufacturers use master batches of seed to avoid variation in this step. Having set the number of particles in the pot, the remaining monomer and, in some cases, additional initiator are added over time. Typical feed times ate 1—4 h. Lengthening the feeds tempers heat generation and provides for uniform comonomer sequence distributions (67). Sometimes skewed monomer feeds are used to offset differences in monomer reactivity ratios. In some cases a second monomer charge is made to produce core—shell latices. At the end of the process pH adjustments are often made. The product is then pumped to a prefilter tank, filtered, and pumped to a post-filter tank where additional processing can occur. When the feed rate of monomer during semibatch production is very low, the reactor is said to be monomer starved. Under these... 

Since successful commercialization of Kapton by Du Pont Company in the 1960s (10), numerous compositions of polyimide and various new methods of syntheses have been described in the Hterature (1—5). A successful result for each method depends on the nature of the chemical components involved in the system, including monomers, intermediates, solvents, and the polyimide products, as well as on physical conditions during the synthesis. Properties such as monomer reactivity and solubiHty, and the glass-transition temperature,T, crystallinity, T, and melt viscosity of the polyimide products ultimately determine the effectiveness of each process. Accordingly, proper selection of synthetic method is often critical for preparation of polyimides of a given chemical composition. 

Monomer Reactivity. The poly(amic acid) groups are formed by nucleophilic substitution by an amino group at a carbonyl carbon of an anhydride group. Therefore, the electrophilicity of the dianhydride is expected to be one of the most important parameters used to determine the reaction rate. There is a close relationship between the reaction rates and the electron affinities, of dianhydrides (12). These were independendy deterrnined by polarography. Stmctures and electron affinities of various dianhydrides are shown in Table 1. 

In addition, however, several minor but important side reactions concurrently proceed with the main reaction. These side reactions may become significant under certain conditions, particularly when the main reaction is slow because of low monomer reactivities or low concentrations. The principal pathways involved in the formation of poly(amic acid) are as shown in Eigure 1. 

Monomer Reactivity. The nature of the side chain R group exerts considerable influence on the reactivity of vinyl ethers toward cationic polymerization. The rate is fastest when the alkyl substituent is branched and electron-donating. Aromatic vinyl ethers are inherently less reactive and susceptible to side reactions. These observations are shown in Table 2. 

Alfrey and Price proposed a means of predicting monomer reactivity in copolymerization from two parameters, (a measure of resonance) and e (a measure of polar effects) (8). These parameters have been related to the reactivity ratios by equations 15—17. 

AGE-Gontaining Elastomers. The manufacturing process for ECH—AGE, ECH—EO—AGE, ECH—PO—AGE, and PO—AGE is similar to that described for the ECH and ECH—EO elastomers. Solution polymerization is carried out in aromatic solvents. Slurry systems have been reported for PO—AGE (39,40). When monomer reactivity ratios are compared, AGE (and PO) are approximately 1.5 times more reactive than ECH. Since ECH is slightly less reactive than PO and AGE and considerably less reactive than EO, background monomer concentration must be controlled in ECH—AGE, ECH—EO—AGE, and ECH—PO—AGE synthesis in order to obtain a uniform product of the desired monomer composition. This is not necessary for the PO—AGE elastomer, as a copolymer of the same composition as the monomer charge is produced. AGE content of all these polymers is fairly low, less than 10%. Methods of molecular weight control, antioxidant addition, and product work-up are similar to those used for the ECH polymers described. 

Monomer Reactive material that is compatible with the basic resin. 

The rates of addition to the unsubstituted terminus of monosubstituted and 1,1-disubstiluted olefins (this includes most polymerizable monomers) are thought to be determined largely by polar Factors.2 16 Polymer chemists were amongst the first to realize that polar factors were an important influence in determining the rate of addition. Such factors can account for the well-known tendency for monomer alternation in many radical copolymerizations and provide the basis for the Q-e, the Patterns of Reactivity, and many other schemes for estimating monomer reactivity ratios (Section 7.3.4). 

Any understanding of the kinetics of copolymerization and the structure of copolymers requires a knowledge of the dependence of the initiation, propagation and termination reactions on the chain composition, the nature of the monomers and radicals, and the polymerization medium. This section is principally concerned with propagation and the effects of monomer reactivity on composition and monomer sequence distribution. The influence of solvent and complcxing agents on copolymerization is dealt with in more detail in Section 8.3.1. 

From this scheme it can be seen that the copolymer composition is determined by the values of four monomer reactivity ratios. 

The arrangement of monomer units in copolymer chains is determined by the monomer reactivity ratios which can be influenced by the reaction medium and various additives. The average sequence distribution to the triad level can often be measured by NMR (Section 7.3.3.2) and in special cases by other techniques.100 101 Longer sequences are usually difficult to determine experimentally, however, by assuming a model (terminal, penultimate, etc.) they can be predicted.7 102 Where sequence distributions can be accurately determined Lhey provide, in principle, a powerful method for determining monomer reactivity ratios. 

Harwood112 proposed that the solvent need not directly affect monomer reactivity, rather it may influence the way the polymer chain is solvated. Evidence for the proposal was the finding for certain copolymerizations, while the terminal model reactivity ratios appear solvent dependent, copolymers of the same overall composition had the same monomer sequence distribution. This was explained in... 

NMR chemical shift data from die protons ortho or para to the electron-withdrawing group can be used to determine the reactivity of the monomer indirecdy.58 Carbon-13 and 19F NMR can be used to probe the chemical shift at the actual site of nucleophilic reaction. In general, lower chemical shifts correlate widi lower monomer reactivity. Carter reported that a compound might be appropriate for nucleophilic displacement if the 13 C chemical shift of an activated Buoride ranges from 164.5 to 166.2 ppm in CDC1359. 

Copolymerization is of practical and theoretical interest2,72). The practical interest is a result of the possibility to synthesize polymers with modified properties as opposed to the homopolymers. It is theoretically interesting because the ratios of monomers in the starting mixture are in many cases different from those in the copolymer. This can be helpful for making assertions about reaction mechanisms and relative monomer reactivities. 

Finally where both reactivity ratios take the value of zero, the monomers do not react at all, with growing polymer chains terminated in their own kind of monomer unit. This results in alternating copolymerisation. A few typical monomer reactivity ratios are given in Table 2.2. 

Table 2.2 Typical monomer reactivity ratios (reaction temperature 60 °C in each case)...

Thus ri represents the ratio of the rate constants for the reaction of a radical of type 1 with monomer Mi and with monomer M2, respectively. The monomer reactivity ratio similarly expresses the relative reactivity of an M2 radical toward an M2 compared with an Ml monomer. The quantity d[M /d M given by Eq. (5) represents the ratio of the two monomers in the increment of polymer formed when the ratio of unreacted monomers is The former ratio... 

The composition of the increment of polymer formed at a monomer composition specified by /i(= 1 —/2) is readily calculated from Eq. (8) if the monomer reactivity ratios ri and V2 are known. Again it is apparent that the mole fraction Fi in general will not equal /i hence both /i and Fi will change as the polymerization progresses. The polymer obtained over a finite range of conversion will consist of the summation of increments of polymer differing progressively in their mole fractions F. ... 

The reader is referred to Refs. 1, 2, and 3 for comprehensive tabulations of monomer reactivity ratios. 

The effect of temperature on the monomer reactivity ratio is fairly small. In those few cases examined with sufficient accuracy,the ratio nearly always changes toward unity as the temperature increases —a clear indication that a difference in activation energy is responsible, in part at least, for the difference in rate of the competing reactions. In fact, the difference in energy of activation seems to be the dominant factor in these reactions differences in entropy of activation usually are small, which suggests that steric effects ordinarily are of minor importance only. 

Table XXII.—Monomer Reactivity Ratio Products (50 to 80°) (From Mayo and Walling )... 

Mayo and Walling, who have given a penetrating critique of the Q,e scheme, point out that it represents in essence merely a transcription to equation form of the reactivity series of Table XX and the po-larity series of Table XXII. Regardless of the manner of interpretation adopted, it is apparent that monomer reactivity in copolymerization depends on two factors. One of these relates to the intrinsic characteristics of the monomer (and of the activated complex produced from it as well) as they tend to favor its addition to a radical. As we have seen, the capacity for resonance stabilization in the transition state is of foremost importance in determining the general level of monomer reactivity. The second factor has to do with the specificity... 

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