opcorn Polymerization of Styrene and Vinyl Polymerization Using the Popcorn Polymer as the Seed

Abstract

Styrene popcorn polymer (St-PCP) was obtained by the polymerization using divinylbezene, ethylene glycol diacrylate, and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as the crosslinking monomer. Vinyl polymerizations using the St-PCP as the seed were carried out PCP-formations were observed for styrene and methyl methacrylate (MMA) but not for vinyl acetate and acrylonitrile. Activities of the seeds toward styrene and MMA were influenced by the concentration of the crosslinking monomer in St-PCP regardless of the content of crosslinking monomer. The seed containing a low concentration of the crosslinking reagent exhibited a great activity toward MMA, whereas a high concentration of the crosslinking reagent was favorable to styrene. Though the high concentration of radicals was detected in these polymerization systems, popcorn polymerization did not proceed to completion. These results o f the popcorn polymerizations initiated with the seed could be explained considering living radical-like graft polymerization in the seed.