Solid‐state polymerization of long‐chain vinyl compounds. IV. Effects of chain length on the polymorphic behavior and postpolymerization of n‐alkyl methacrylates

Abstract

AbstractPolymorphic behavior and γ‐ray‐initiated postpolymerization of the even‐numbered long‐chain Methacrylates (C18‐C12) have been investigated. Phase transition behaviors of octadecyl, hexadecyl, tetradecyl, and dodecyl methacrylates are magnified image respectively, which become simpler with shortening of the chain length. The methacrylate monomers with sufficiently long hydrocarbon chains, such as octadecyl and hexadecyl, can be polymerized rapidly in the α‐form crystal (hexagonal packing) by a fully two‐dimensional mechanism, whereas in the β‐form crystal (triclinic packing), polymerization can hardly occur. In the case of dodecyl methacrylate, however, an accelerated polymerization in the β form occurs after an induction period of several hours and the resultant polymer is gel‐like. This can be interpreted by the propagation reaction across the polymer chain already formed. It has been found that the solid‐state post‐polymerization of n‐alkyl methacrylates is affected by the chain length through the packing mode of the monomer molecules and also by the aggregation state of side chains in the resultant comblike polymer.