The polymerization of acrylonitrile in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), dimethyl formamide (DMF), dimethyl acetamide (DMA) and the aqueous solution of ethylene carbonate (EC+H
2O, EC 10 volume %) initiated by ammonium persulfate is investigated by dilatometric techniques under homogeneous conditions. The following results are obtained.
1) The rate of polymerization in DMSO is proportional to the square root of the ammonium persulfate concentration.
2) The values of (
ktd+
ktc/2)/
kp2 in the ammonium persulfate initiated polymerization in DMSO (40°C 18.2, 45°C 15.0mol/sec/
l) is less than those in the azobisisobutyronitrile initiated polymerization in the same solvent. This behavior is explained in terms of reduction in the rate of termination. The reduction in the rate of termination may be due to the mutual electrostatic repulsion of the chains caused by the presence of electrically charged end groups arising from initiation by the sulfate ion radical.
3) Activation energies of polymerization in DMSO, DMF, DMA and EC+H
2O (EC 10 volume%) are 16.5, 17.6, 15.9 and 19.5kcal/mol respectively.
4) Ammonium persulfate decomposes more rapidly in these organic solvents than in water. The rate of decomposition is found to increase in the following order, EC+H
2O<DMSO<DMF<DMA. The mechanism of decomposition is discussed.
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