In the polymerization of isobutene catalyzed by aluminium tribromide and in the polymerization of styrene catalyzed by trifluoromethanesulphonic acid it is supposed that an inactive catalyst monomer complex is formed which is in equilibrium with other active species. The monomer complexation of the catalyst explains the S-shaped conversion curves and the complex kinetics of the polymerization. The value of the equilibrium constant Km (complexation constant) expresses what part of the catalyst may take part in the polymerization process as an active initiating species. For the system isobutene/AlBr3, Km was found to be 0,62 1/mol. In the system styrene/CF3SO3H, the high value of the complexa…

Polymerization of styrene

The solution polymerization of styrene in methylene dichloride catalysed by trifluoromethanesulfonic acid takes place at a high rate even at low catalyst concentration. The S-shaped course of the conversion curves is explained by a reaction mechanism, in which the catalyst rapidly forms an inactive complex with one monomer molecule, and this monomer-acid complex is in equilibrium with the free catalyst molecule from which the propagating species are formed. Therefore, the formation of active initiating species becomes a slow process which depends also on the change of monomer concentration during polymerization. It is assumed that the active initiating species are formed from two or three m…