Dispersion polymerization of styrene and methyl methacrylate initiated by poly(oxyethylene) macromonomeric azoinitiators

Abstract

Abstract Macromonomeric poly(oxyethylene) azoinitiators (macroinimers) MIM‐400 and MIM‐1500 were synthesized and characterized by IR and NMR spectroscopy and DSC techniques. The dispersion polymerizations of styrene and methyl methacrylate (MMA) initiated by poly(oxyethylene) macroinimers (MIM‐400 and MIM‐1500) in water/ethanol were investigated at 60°C. The rate of polymerization was found to increase with increasing concentration of MIM and the increase was more pronounced in the styrene system. In the range of medium conversions the rate of polymerization was found to be proportional to the 1.7th and 1.6th power of [MIM‐400] and [MIM‐1500] for MMA and to the 2.5th power of [MIM‐400] for styrene, respectively.