Poly chain transfer effects

The molecular weight of a polymer can be controlled through the use of a chain-transfer agent, as well as by initiator concentration and type, monomer concentration, and solvent type and temperature. Chlorinated aUphatic compounds and thiols are particularly effective chain-transfer agents used for regulating the molecular weight of acryUc polymers (94). Chain-transfer constants (C at 60°C) for some typical agents for poly(methyl acrylate) are as follows (87) ... 

Solution Polymerization. Solution polymerization of vinyl acetate is carried out mainly as an intermediate step to the manufacture of poly(vinyl alcohol). A small amount of solution-polymerized vinyl acetate is prepared for the merchant market. When solution polymerization is carried out, the solvent acts as a chain-transfer agent, and depending on its transfer constant, has an effect on the molecular weight of the product. The rate of polymerization is also affected by the solvent but not in the same way as the degree of polymerization. The reactivity of the solvent-derived radical plays an important part. Chain-transfer constants for solvents in vinyl acetate polymerizations have been tabulated (13). Continuous solution polymers of poly(vinyl acetate) in tubular reactors have been prepared at high yield and throughput (73,74). 

On the basis of these studies we decided to carry out a series of AMI and IMA experiments (2) with the TMPCl/EtAlCl2/DtBP combination. Figures 1 and 2 show the results. The M versus Wp (g of poly(P-PIN) formed) plots and the N (number of moles of poly(P-PIN) formed) versus Wp plots (insets) indicate increasing deviation from the theoretical values (calculated for Ieff = 100%). According to these results chain transfer proceeds in these polymerizations, i.e., the systems are nonliving. Further experimentation would be necessary to develop satisfactory living conditions, in particular to investigate the effect of solvent polarity, temperature and electron donors on the mechanism. 

In solution polymerization, monomers mix and react while dissolved in a suitable solvent or a liquid monomer under high pressure (as in the case of the manufacture of polypropylene). The solvent dilutes the monomers which helps control the polymerization rate through concentration effects. The solvent also acts as a heat sink and heat transfer agent which helps cool the locale in which polymerization occurs. A drawback to solution processes is that the solvent can sometimes be incorporated into the growing chain if it participates in a chain transfer reaction. Polymer engineers optimize the solvent to avoid this effect. An example of a polymer made via solution polymerization is poly(tetrafluoroethylene), which is better knoivn by its trade name Teflon . This commonly used commercial polymer utilizes water as the solvent during the polymerization process,... 

Another interesting chiral chain end effect is exhibited by the helical polymer block co-polymer, poly(l,l-dimethyl-2,2-di-/z-hexylsilylene)- -poly(triphenylmethyl methacrylate), reported by Sanji and Sakurai (see Scheme 7) and prepared by the anionic polymerization of a masked disilene.333 The helical poly(triphenylmethyl methacrylate) block (PTrMA) is reported to induce a PSS of the same sign in the poly(di- -propylsilylene) block in THF below — 20 °C, and also in the solid state, by helicity transfer, as evidenced by the positive Cotton effect at 340 nm, coincident with a fairly narrow polysilane backbone UV absorption characteristic of an all-transoid-conformation. This phenomenon was termed helical programming. Above 20°C, the polysilane block loses its optical activity and the UV absorption shifts to 310 nm in a reversible, temperature-dependent effect, due to the disordering of the chain, as shown in Figure 45. 

The bulk polymerization rate of trideuterovinyl acetate was found to be 1.78 times that of vinyl acetate. In emulsion polymerization the same result was found. The molecular weight of poly(trideuterovinyl acetate) was 2.59 times that of poly(vinyl acetate). The overall isotope effect on chain transfer to monomer was calculated to be 3.04. Chain transfer was shown to be 94% on the vinyl hydrogens and 6% on the acetyl hydrogens. The measurement of polymerization rates in emulsion polymerization showed that the chain transfer on acetyl hydrogens is kineti-cally insignificant. 

The concept of PO macroinitiators centers on the introduction of an initiation moiety into an olefinic polymer chain for polymerization. The most effective route for preparing PO macroinitiators is by employing functional polyolefins containing hydroxyl groups or other reactive groups. These functional POs are prepared by copolymerization of olefins with functional monomers and post-polymerization reaction, as mentioned above. In the case where an initiation moiety was at the chain-end of the polyolefins, a block type copolymer is produced. It has been reported that thiol-terminated PP was used as polymeric chain transfer agent in styrene and styrene/acrylonitrile polymerization to form polypropylene-b/odc-polystyrene (PP-b-PS) and polypropylene-btock-poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile) (PP-b-SAN) block copolymer [19]. On the other hand, polymer hybrids with block and graft structures can be produced if initiation moieties are in the polymer chain. 

Control of Molecular Weight. Studies have been conducted on techniques for controlling the molecular weight of poly-p-xylylenes produced from di-p-xylylenes by the vacuum pyrolysis route. Earlier work by Szwarc (17), Errede (3), and Auspos (I) indicated that very reactive chain transfer agents were required to achieve a significant effect in the polymerization of p-xylylene derived from p-xylene. This general picture was confirmed in the present study. 

Reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization using 2,2 -azobisisobutyronitrile and either A, A-dimethyl-5-thiobenzoylthiopropionamide or A-dimethyl-5-thiobenzoylthioacetamide as chain transfer agents has been used to prepare low polydispersity poly(A, A-dimethylacrylamide). The chain transfer agents were unusually effective in suppressing free radical termination reaction, thereby mimicking a living polymerization reaction. 

As discussed in the preceding sections of this chapter, the key to living cationic polymerization is to reduce the effect of chain transfer reactions (Scheme 4) because termination is much less important in the cationic polymerization of vinyl monomers. The primary reason for frequent chain transfer reactions of the growing carbocation (1) is the acidity of the /3-H atoms, next to the carbocationic center, where a considerable part of the positive charge is localized. Because of their electron deficiency, the protons can readily be abstracted by monomers, the counteranion (B ), and other basic components of the systems, to induce chain transfer reactions. It is particularly important to note that cationically polymerizable monomers are, by definition, basic or nucleophilic. Namely, they have an electron-rich carbon-carbon double bond that can be effectively poly-... 

Poly(vinyl chloride) made by suspension polymerization (Chapter 8) is a polymer in which molecular weight control is effectively by chain transfer—to monomer in this case. The ratio is slightly higher than the expected value... 

Another typical process involving branched radical polymerization is the production of poly(vinyl acetate). In the experiments of Stein105,106, the method of mathematical simulation has been used to evaluate the effect of longchain branches on the width of MWD. The reactions of chain transfer to the polymer and polymerization by the terminal double bonds of the polymer were examined separately. A comparison of the calculated and experimental Pw/Pn - f ( ) dependencies yielded the values of Cp = kf/kp and K = k p/kp. 

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