Abstract
A glow discharge passed from a metal anode to the surface of aqueous solutions of acrylamide produces radicals which initiate polymerisation. The yield of polymer together with its relative molecular mass has been examined as a function of monomer concentration and pressure in neutral solutions. The form of the variations can be explained in terms of a simplified reaction scheme. On the basis of the proposed mechanism there are two reaction zones. In the primary reaction zone no polymerisation occurs, the radical concentration being too high. About 0·2% of the radicals escape into the secondary reaction zone to initiate polymerisation, the volume of this zone being about 0·4 cm 3. In alkaline solutions the yields and relative molecular masses of the polymers are very low and this is attributed to chain termination by oxygen which rises from the destruction of hydrogen peroxide in alkaline solution.
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