1980 Volume 37 Issue 7 Pages 483-490
Polymerization of methyl methacrylate was initiated with bisulfite ion in water medium. The polymerization rate was sensitive to polymerization conditions. Presumably the polymerization is initiated with a bisulfite radical produced by the reaction of bisulfite anion with oxygen in water. The apparent activation energy for the polymerization of methyl methacrylate-sulfurous acid system was determined to be 12 kcal/mol. Furthermore, a small amount of sulfonic acid derivatives of the monomer were formed as by-products in the polymerization. The addition reaction of bisulfite and sulfite anions to methyl methacrylate was also studied. In view of the results, mechanism of the polymerization was discussed.
