Abstract
The reaction mechanism of dispersion copolymerization of methacryloyl-terminated poly(ethylene oxide) macromonomer and styrene in the polar media is discussed. The copolymerization products were analyzed by means of liquid chromatography. This analysis revealed presence of rather large amount of polystyrene in the final polymer product. It is assumed that the system undergoes phase separation in the course of copolymerization. The graft copolymer created in the first stage of polymerization acts as a detergent (amphiphile). The hydrophobic phase is hardly accessible for hydrophilic macromonomer but well dissolves styrene and benzoylperoxide initiator. Therefore, polystyrene homopolymer is intensively formed in this reaction locus. Its molar mass is rather low because of high initiator and low monomer concentration at the reaction loci. We suppose existence of at least two different polymerization loci; the continuous phase and the particle core. The existence of third polymerization locus, viz. particle surface layer cannot be excluded, either.
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