ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Role of polypropylene polyhydroperoxide in the emulsion polymerization of styrene and methyl methacrylate

D. Mikulášová, V. Chrástová, P. Citovický, and T. Fačková

Department of Chemical Technology of Plastics and Fibres, Slovak Technical University, 880 37 Bratislava

Abstract: The rate of the polymerization of styrene and methyl methacrylate initiated by powdered oxidized polypropylene depends on the concentration of polyhy­droperoxide. The exponent 0.5 of this relationship was found for the polymeri­zation of styrene on condition that the content of the solid phase in the system was constant and for the polymerization of methyl methacrylate in the stationary region of conversion curves. If the change in the concentration of polyhydroperoxide was achieved by changing the content of the solid phase in the system, the unit reaction order was found for the polymerization of styrene. This reaction order is equal to the sum of the experimentally determined exponents for the concentrations of triethylenetetramine and polyhydro­peroxide. The stationary course of the polymerization of styrene and the autocatalytic course of the polymerization of methyl methacrylate are attributed to the specific character of the decomposition of polypropylene polyhydroperoxide during polymerization which is one of the causes of long-living radical existence in this type of polymerization.

Full paper in Portable Document Format: 322a186.pdf

Chemical Papers 32 (2) 186–193 (1978)