抄録
The purpose of this paper was to analyse the mechanism of curing reaction of un-saturated polyesters. As a first step of the analysis, copolymerization of styrene and diethylfumarate (DEF) was used as a model system, and was examined by field desorption mass spectrometry (FDMS). Styrene-DEF copolymer and styrene homopolymer were obtained by radical polymerization, using azobis (2, 4-dimethyl valeronitrile) (AVN) as an initiator. In order to analyse the termination reaction in the copolymerization of styrene and DEF, FDMS spectra of the copolymer and styrene polymer were measured and examined in detail. As a result, it was found that molecular species produced by the recombination termination reaction were the major constituents, and that small amouts of molecular species were produced by the hydrogen abstracting termination reaction. On the other hand, mass ion peaks corresponding to the molecular species produced by the hydrogen adding termination reaction were hardly recognized in the FDMS spectra. It can be, therefore, concluded that the recombination reaction plays an important part in the termination step of the copolymerization of styrene and DEF, and that FDMS has a potential ability for investigating the reaction mechanism.
