Mechanism and kinetics of hydrochloric acid initiated ?-caprolactam polymerization

Abstract

A mechanistic scheme is suggested for lactam polymerisation initiated by hydrochloric acid on the basis of the general mechanism put forward earlier by Bertalan et al. According to this mechanism during the polymerization conditions are created which can initiate further polymerizations resulting in a characteristic inflection type kinetic curve. Experimental results can be well interpreted qualitatively on the basis of this mechanism, and therefore it can serve as a starting point also for a quantitative kinetic model.