Reaction between methyl alcohol labelled
14C and benzoyl peroxide (Bz
2O
2) in the presence of carbon black was carried out at 50°C.
During the reaction, methyl alcohol converted into formaldehyde via “alcohol radical”.
In this study, the “alcohol radical” fixed on carbon black surface was determined by the method of radiotracer techniques. For example, Philblack O had contained the radical of 3×10
19 per gram of carbon black, but the combination of benzoate radical (BzO•) on the surface of carbon black was negligible.
The phenomenon is different from that of the reaction using benzene or carbon tetrachloride as a solvent in which BzO• fixed on carbon black surface is found.
On the other hand, using 2, 2′-azobisisobutyronitrile as an initiator, monomers such as styrene or vinylacetate were easily converted into polymers in the presence of carbon black, but in the case of Bz
2O
2, polymerization of monomers was strongly retarded.
The phenomena mentioned above may be attributed to competitive reactions of free radicals generated from initiators with monomers and the terminal groups on the carbon black surfaces.
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