Studies of redox polymerization. I. Aqueous polymerization of acrylamide by an ascorbic acid–peroxydisulfate system

Abstract

AbstractThe polymerization of acrylamide initiated by an ascorbic acid–peroxydisulfate redox system was studied in aqueous solution at 35 ± 0.2°C in the presence of air. The concentrations studied were [monomer] = (2.0–15.0) × 10−2 mole/liter; [peroxydisulfate] = (1.5–10.0) × 10−3 mole/liter; and [ascorbic acid] = (2.84–28.4) × 10−4 mole/liter; temperatures were between 25–50°C. Within these ranges the initial rate showed a half‐order dependence on peroxydisulfate, a first‐order dependence on an initial monomer concentration, and a first‐order dependence on a low concentration of ascorbic acid [(2.84–8.54) × 10−4 mole/liter]. At higher concentrations of ascorbic acid the rate remained constant in the concentration range (8.54–22.72) × 10−4 mole/liter, then varied as an inverse halfpower at still higher concentrations of ascorbic acid [(22.72–28.4) × 10−4 mole/liter]. The initial rate increased with an increase in polymerization temperature. The overall energy of activation was 12.203 kcal/mole in a temperature range of 25–50°C. Water‐miscible organic solvents depressed the initial rate and the limiting conversion. The viscometric average molecular weight increased with an increase in temperature and initial monomer concentration but decreased with increasing concentration of peroxydisulfate and an additive, dimethyl formamide (DMF).