Concept on Hard and Soft Hydrophobic Areas Formed by Hydrophilic Macromolecules in Water and Hard and Soft Vinyl Monomers

Abstract

Water-insoluble but hydrophilic fibers, such as cellulose, silk, and nylon, can polymerize some vinyl monomers in an inner part of a fiber. Water-soluble macromolecules from hydro-phobic areas (HA) in water. In this HA, radical vinyl polymerization takes place. This HA, as well as fiber, can be divided into hard and soft HA, acoording to their hydrophobicity. Similarly, vinyl monomers consist of hard and soft monomers. A hardness or softness of a monomer can be determined by its solubility in water. A new concept was proposed as fol-lows : A vinyl monomer having a certain hardness or softness becomes most easily incorporated into this HA, having corresponding hardness or softness. In terms of this concept, the following experimental results could be explained easily ; (1) Selectivity of vinyl monomers in uncatalyzed polymerization, ( 2 ) Unusual composition curves of the copolymer of MMA and styrene.