0000000000445125

AUTHOR

Manfred Stickler

Die thermische Polymerisation von Methylmethacrylat, 1. Polymerisation in Substanz

Special purification of the monomer and careful preparation of the reaction setup allowed a thorough study of the spontaneous thermal polymerization of methyl methacrylate over a wide range of temperatures (0–140°C). The rates of polymerization are notably lower than the few data previously reported in literature, and the degrees of polymerization slightly higher. The thermal initiation reaction is superimposed by radical production due to the natural ionising radiation (cosmic radiation etc.). This additional initiation becomes significant at temperatures below 60°C. New and more reliable monomer chain transfer constants are given.

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Die thermische polymerisation von methylmethacrylat, 2. Bildung des ungesättigten dimeren

The spontaneous thermal polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) is accompanied by the production of serveral oligomers among which a linear unsaturated dimer H-1 (dimethyl 1-hexene-2,5-dicarboxylate) is predominant. The reaction kinetics of this dimer formation was investigated in bulk and in solution. The temperature dependence of the second order dimerization constant was determined as Reaction mechanisms for the thermal dimer formation of MMA are discussed.

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Die thermische polymerisation von methylmethacrylat, 3. Verhalten des ungesättigten dimeren bei der polymerisation

The thermal polymerization of methyl methacrylate is accompanied by the formation of appreciable amounts of an unsaturated dimer (H-1). The behaviour of H-1 during homopolymerization in presence of an initiator at 60, 80 and 100°C and during copolymerization with MMA in presence of an initiator at 60°C are investigated. The rate of (H-1)-homopolymerization is very low. The transfer constant to monomer H-1 is about CH-1 = 3·10−3 at 80°C as received from Pn-determinations. The termination is essentially by disproportionation. The copolymerization parameters as resulting from polymerizations with labeled MMA at 60°C are rMMA = 1,8 and rH-1 = 0,33, respectively.

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