Styrene thermal polymerization

Most published studies relate only to isothermal experiments. Hence, in order to make such comparisons we modified our computations to assume isothermal conditions. Figure 11 compares our kinetic model with data by Hui and Hamielec for styrene thermal polymerization at 1A0°C. Figure 12 compares out kinetic model with data by Balke and Hamielec (7) for MMA at 90 C using 0.3 AIBN. Figure 13 compares our kinetic model with data by Lee and Turner ( ) for MMA at 70°C using 2% BPO. Our model compares quite favorably with these published experiments. The percent error was less than S% in most of the ranges of conversions. 

Figure 11, Styrene thermal polymerization at 140°C, initial conversion —0%...

What is thermal polymerization Show by chemical equations the postulated mechanism of formation of initiating radicals in styrene thermal polymerization. 

Paths A) Mechanism of spontaneous radical formation in styrene-maleic anhydride thermal copolymerization B) Postulated acceleration of radical generation in styrene-maleic anhydride thermal copolymerization In the presence of TEMPO C) Accepted mechanism of spontaneous radical formation In styrene thermal polymerization D) Mechanism of acceleration of radical generation In styrene thermal autopolymerization In the presence of TEMPO. 

In order to increase the solubiUty parameter of CPD-based resins, vinyl aromatic compounds, as well as other polar monomers, have been copolymerized with CPD. Indene and styrene are two common aromatic streams used to modify cyclodiene-based resins. They may be used as pure monomers or contained in aromatic steam cracked petroleum fractions. Addition of indene at the expense of DCPD in a thermal polymerization has been found to lower the yield and softening point of the resin (55). CompatibiUty of a resin with ethylene—vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymers, which are used in hot melt adhesive appHcations, may be improved by the copolymerization of aromatic monomers with CPD. As with other thermally polymerized CPD-based resins, aromatic modified thermal resins may be hydrogenated. 

The dehydrogenation of the mixture of m- and -ethyltoluenes is similar to that of ethylbenzene, but more dilution steam is required to prevent rapid coking on the catalyst. The recovery and purification of vinyltoluene monomer is considerably more difficult than for styrene owing to the high boiling point and high rate of thermal polymerization of the former and the complexity of the reactor effluent, which contains a large number of by-products. Pressures as low as 2.7 kPa (20 mm Hg) are used to keep distillation temperatures low even in the presence of polymerization inhibitor. The finished vinyltoluene monomer typically has an assay of 99.6%. 

The macroazoinimer obtained by the end capping reaction of polyazoester with a diizocyanate and hy-droxyethyl methacrylate was used in wood impregnation leading to the one-shot polymerization of styrene thermally [50]. 

Hazer [20,25] reported on the reaction of a po]y(eth-ylene g]ycol)-based azoester with methacryloyl chloride in the presence of (CH3CH2)3N. In this reaction double bonds were attached to the chain ends of the poly(ester) thus obtaining a macroinimer. Being used for the thermal polymerization of styrene, the material formed an insoluble gel [20]. Probably, both the C=C double bonds and the azo bonds reacted in the course of the thermal treatment. The macroninimer in a later work [25] was used for thermally polymerizing poly(butadiene) thus leading to poly(ethylene glycol-/ -butadiene) block copolymers. 

Polyaddition reactions based on isocyanate-terminated poly(ethylene glycol)s and subsequent block copolymerization with styrene monomer were utilized for the impregnation of wood [54]. Hazer [55] prepared block copolymers containing poly(ethylene adipate) and po-ly(peroxy carbamate) by an addition of the respective isocyanate-terminated prepolymers to polyazoesters. By both bulk and solution polymerization and subsequent thermal polymerization in the presence of a vinyl monomer, multiblock copolymers could be formed. 

The presence of stable free radicals in the resin was further suggested by the strong inhibiting effect of traces of this product on the thermal polymerization of styrene. 

Yu (13) simulated a periodically operated CSTR for the thermal polymerization of styrene and found the MWD to increase at low frequencies but all effects were damped out at higher frequencies because of the limited heat transfer which occurs relative to the thermal capacity of industrial scale reactors. 

Initial rates for the thermal polymerization of styrene in various... 

Table XII.—Thermal Polymerization of Styrene in Toluene at 100°C (Schulz, Dinglinger, and Husemann o)...

From measured rates of thermal polymerization, and the previously evaluated ratios k /kt, we may assign values to ki. Thus from the data given in Table XI extrapolated to 100°C, kl/kt=. bXlO for styrene... 

F. R. Mayo (private communication) has found evidence that thermal polymerization of styrene may actually be of a higher order than second, i.e., about five-halves order. This would suggest a termolecular initiation step. Generation of a pair of monoradicals in this manner, i.e., from three monomer molecules, would be acceptable from the standpoint of energy considerations. 

Fig. 21.—A comparison of the effects of 0.1 percent of benzo-quinone (curve II), 0.5 percent of nitrobenzene (curve III), and 0.2 percent of nitrosobenzene (curve IV) on the thermal polymerization of styrene at 100°C. Curve I represents the polymerization of pure styrene. (Results of Schulz. )...

The inhibitors more commonly used are molecules which in one way or another react with active chain radicals to yield product radicals of low reactivity. The classic example is benzoquinone. As little as 0.01 percent causes virtual total suppression of polymerization of styrene or other monomers. This is true of both thermal and initiated polymerizations. Results of Foord for the inhibition of thermal polymerization of styrene by benzoquinone are shown in Fig. 22. The... 

Fig. 22.—Inhibition of the thermal polymerization of styrene at 90°C by benzoquinone. The log of the viscosity relative to that of pure monomer is here used as a measure of polymerization. The small induction period in the absence of quinone presumably was caused by spurious inhibitors present in the monomer. (Results of Foord. )...

In thermal polymerization where the rate of initiation may also vary with composition, an abnormal cross initiation rate may introduce a further contribution to nonadditive behavior. The only system investigated quantitatively is styrene-methyl methacrylate, rates of thermal copolymerization of which were measured by Walling. The rate ratios appearing in Eq. (26) are known for this system from studies on the individual monomers, from copolymer composition studies, and from the copolymerization rate at fixed initiation rate. Hence a single measurement of the thermal copolymerization rate yields a value for Ri. Knowing hm and ki22 from the thermal initiation rates for either monomer alone (Chap. IV), the bimolecular cross initiation rate constant kii2 may be calculated. At 60°C it was found to be 2.8 times that... 

The effect of the nitrone stmcture on the kinetics of the styrene polymerization has been reported. Of all the nitrones tested, those of the C-PBN type (Fig. 2.29, family 4) are the most efficient regarding polymerization rate, control of molecular weight, and polydispersity. Electrophilic substitution of the phenyl group of PBN by either an electrodonor or an electroacceptor group has only a minor effect on the polymerization kinetics. The polymerization rate is not governed by the thermal polymerization of styrene but by the alkoxyamine formed in situ during the pre-reaction step. The initiation efficiency is, however, very low, consistent with a limited conversion of the nitrone into nitroxide or alkoxyamine. 

Some examples, such as thermal polymerization of styrene and decomposition of di-f-butyl peroxide, are given in [194], both treated as first-order reactions. The activation energy found for the decomposition of di-f-butyl peroxide agrees well with the literature value. From the pressure data, it appears that the initial pressure rise is caused by the evaporation of toluene, present as a solvent. At higher temperatures, the gases generated by decomposition are the main contributors to the pressure rise. 

This paper reviews some of our work on general methods for the synthesis of polyaromatics containing either terminal or pendant styrene groups and their thermal polymerization. The examples provided in this paper refer to an aromatic polyether sulfone (PSU) and poly-(2,6-dimethy1-1,4-phenylene oxide) (PPO). 

In conclusion, phase transfer catalyzed Williamson etherification and Wittig vinylation provided convenient methods for the synthesis of polyaromatics with terminal or pendant styrene-type vinyl groups. Both these polyaromatics appear to be a very promising class of thermally reactive oligomers which can be used to tailor the physical properties of the thermally obtained networks. Research is in progress in order to further elucidate the thermal polymerization mechanism and to exploit the thermodynamic reversibility of this curing reaction. 

For a purely photochemical polymerization, the initiation step is temperature-independent (Ed = 0) since the energy for initiator decomposition is supplied by light quanta. The overall activation for photochemical polymerization is then only about 20 kJ mol-1. This low value of Er indicates the Rp for photochemical polymerizations will be relatively insensitive to temperature compared to other polymerizations. The effect of temperature on photochemical polymerizations is complicated, however, since most photochemical initiators can also decompose thermally. At higher temperatures the initiators may undergo appreciable thermal decomposition in addition to the photochemical decomposition. In such cases, one must take into account both the thermal and photochemical initiations. The initiation and overall activation energies for a purely thermal self-initiated polymerization are approximately the same as for initiation by the thermal decomposition of an initiator. For the thermal, self-initiated polymerization of styrene the activation energy for initiation is 121 kJ mol-1 and Er is 86 kJ mol-1 [Barr et al., 1978 Hui and Hamielec, 1972]. However, purely thermal polymerizations proceed at very slow rates because of the low probability of the initiation process due to the very low values f 1 (l4 IO6) of the frequency factor. 

Thermal Polymerization of Styrene in Bulk (Effect of Temperature)... 

A novel procedure [5] is exemplified in the preparation of polystyryl aluminium derivatives by thermal polymerization of styrene in the presence of AlEt3 acting as chain transfer agent. 

A number of other dimers are also formed in thermal polymerization of styrene. Two of these (35, 36) can be found as impurities of the highest concentration (up to 1%) in commercial polystyrene.226,227... 

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