What are Copolymers?
A copolymer is a polymer that is made up of two or more monomer species. Many commercially important polymers are copolymers. Examples include polyethylene-vinyl acetate (PEVA), nitrile rubber, and acrylonitrile…
SUSPENSION POLYMERIZATION
Suspension polymerization, sometimes called bead, pearl or granular polymerization, is one of the most widely used polymerization techniques. It is essentially a water or solvent cooled bulk polymerization, though water/solvent soluble initiators may be present that…
EMULSION POLYMERIZATION
Emulsion polymerization is one of the most important methods for the polymerization of a large number of monomers, like vinyl acetate, vinyl chloride, chloroprene, acrylamide, acrylates, and methacrylates. It is…
BULK OR MASS POLYMERIZATION
In mass or bulk polymerization, the reaction mixture consists mainly of monomers, and in the case of free-radical or ionic polymerization, of vinyl monomers and a soluble initiator. Thus, the…
ANIONIC POLYMERIZATION
Anionic polymerization is a form of chain-growth polymerization that encompasses the polymerization of vinyl monomers with strong electronegative groups. This type of polymerization is often employed to produce synthetic polydiene…
CATIONIC POLYMERIZATION
Many vinyl monomers readily polymerize in the presence of very small amounts of catalyst of the type used in Friedel-Crafts reactions. Examples of effective catalysts are AlCl3, AlBr3, BF3, TiCl4,…
METALLOCENE COORDINATION CATALYST
Metallocenes are very effective metal catalyst. They consist of minute particles of positively charged metal ions sandwiched between two cyclopentadienyl anions, which have five atoms per ring. They are also…
FREE RADICAL POLYMERIZATION
Free radical polymerization (FRP) is one of the most important synthesis routes for obtaining vinyl polymers. The relatively non-specific nature of the free radicals towards vinyl (unsaturated) monomers makes it…
Initiation
Initiation is the mechanism which starts the polymerization process. Vinyl monomers are quite easily polymerized by a variety of activating methods. Styrene, for example, can be converted to solid polymer…
Polymerization – Addition Polymers
We enjoy the benefits of Styrofoam containers, but don't often think about where they end up. Styrofoam materials do not break down quickly under exposure to the elements. When buried…
