Kinetic study of styrene and methyl methacrylate emulsion polymerization induced by cumene hydroperoxide/tetraethylenepentamine

Abstract

The redox initiator, cumene hydroperoxide/tetraethylenepentamine (CHPO/TEPA), was used to initiate the emulsion polymerizations of styrene and methyl methacrylate (MMA). The hydrophobic CHPO acting as oxidizer would interact with the hydrophilic TEPA employed as the reducer at the particle-water interface where the vinyl monomer is present. The kinetics of the styrene and MMA polymerizations were studied under a temperature range of 30–70 °C. The polymerization rate, the concentration of monomer in the particles, the average number of latex particles and the number of radicals per particle were investigated to evaluate the propagation rate constant during interval II of the polymerization. With increasing temperature, the number of latex particles increases while the monomer concentration in the particles slightly decreases. The observed number of radicals per particle, calculated from the number average volume of the particles and the relation between the entry rate coefficients of free radicals into the particles and the exit rate coefficients of free radicals from the particle, was found to be approximately 0.47 and 0.5 in case of styrene and MMA polymerization, respectively. The calculation shows that the propagation rate constant, kp = 6.84 × 107e−37.65/RT and kp = 3.4 × 107e−31.05/RT L/mol∙s for styrene and MMA polymerizations over the temperature range studied, respectively.