Abstract
Bulk copolymerization of vinyl chloride with (I) diethyl itaconate, (II) diisopropyl itaconate and (III) dioctyl itaconate was studied at 50°C, using α, α′-azobisisobutylonitrile as initiator. The values of γ1 and γ2 which are monomer reactivity ratioes for each of these cases are (I)γ1=0.06±0.01, γ2=5.65±0.25, (II)γ1=0.06±0.01, γ2=6.0±0.5 and (III)γ1=0.06±0.02, γ2=7.0±1.0, respectively. Presence of a small fraction of dialkyl itaconates lowers the rate of polymerization of the system and decreases the viscosity of copolymers. From these results, it is concluded that changing alkyl group from methyl to octyl does not affect seriously the reactivity of the double bond of itaconate in the polymerization reaction.
