Volume : 2, Issue : 5, May - 2013

Kinetic Studies On The Radical Polymerization On N–Octyl/Dodecyl Itaconates

Gulshan Kumar

Abstract :

The bulk copolymerisation of di–n–octyl/dodecyl itaconate (OI/DDI) and styrene initiated with AIBN was kinetically investigated. The polymerisation rate ( Rp) was expressed by: Rp = k[AIBN]0.5. The polymerisation of di–n–octyl itaconates/dodecyl itaconates showed an activation energy of 18.23 kcal/mol (POI)/ 17.64 kcal/mol in the temperature range of 60–90oC.It was obsereved that rate of polymerisation increased with an increase in temperature/ or initiator concentration. In order to investigate the effect of time, copolymerisation of di–n–octyl/dodecyl itaconates and styrene was carried out for 20, 25, 30 & 35 minutes. When Rp was plotted against time (t) a straight line was obtained indicating that the rate of polymerisation varies linearly with time. The effect of initiator concentration and reaction time an intrinsic viscosity, molecular weight and molecular weight distribution was also investigated. Thermal stability of the samples was determined using the thermogravimetric analysis.