Abstract
Addition of a small amount of peroxybenzoic acid to methyl methacrylate and acrylonitrile initiated their polymerization, in the absence of oxygen and the reaction was proceeded up to the formation of product having high degree of polymerization. This polymerization was inhibited well by the presence of a small amount of radical polymerization inhibitor. This fact suggested that peroxybenzoic acid is effective for initiating of radical polymerization and its further confirmation was made by copolymerization of styrene and methyl methacrylate, and acrylonitrile and methyl methacrylate, respectively, and their reactivity ratio was estimated. The fomer gave larger error in the estimated value as the progress of copolymerization was slow, but the latter gave an accurate value. Each of them showed the rate of radical polymerization as reported in the past literatures. This fact was clarified that peroxybenzoic acid in acrylonitrile and methyl methacrylate is effective in initiating the polymerization by radical reaction.
