Absolute rate coefficients in the alternating copolymerization of methyl acrylate and styrene, including a note on the application of non-stationary conditions to copolymerization

Abstract

A kinetic study has been made of the alternating copolymerization of methyl acrylate (MA) and styrene (St) in the presence of ethylaluminium sesquichloride with photoinitiation (λ= 436 nm) by Mn2(CO)10+ CCl4. The reaction was carried out in dilute solution in toluene at 25 °C; variation of [St] over a wide range enabled the kinetic parameters kbak–½tbb and kabk–½taa to be evaluated (kba and kab being cross-propagation rate coefficients and ktbb and ktaa termination rate coefficients).