FREE RADICAL POLYMERIZATION OF METHYL METHACRYLATE IN THE PRESENCE OF PHASE TRANSFER CATALYST—A KINETIC STUDY

The kinetics of free radial polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) using potassium peroxydisulfate as initiator in the presence of propiophenonebenzyldimethylammonium chloride as phase transfer catalyst were studied. The reactions were carried out under inert and unstirred conditions at constant temperature of 60°C in cyclohexanone/water biphase media. The dependence of the rate of polymerization on various experimental conditions, such as different concentrations of monomer, initiator and phase transfer catalyst (PTC) and different ionic strength, temperature and volume fraction of aqueous phase was studied. The order with respect to monomer, initiator and phase transfer catalyst was found to be 1, 0.5 and 0.5 respectively. The rate of polymerization (Rp) is independent of ionic strength and pH. However, an increase in the polarity of solvent and volume fraction of aqueous phase has slightly increased the Rp value. Based on the results obtained, a mechanism has been proposed for the polymerization reaction.