NONTHERMAL FRONTAL POLYMERIZATION OF METHYLMETHACRYLATE WITH A POLYMERIC SEED MODIFIED WITH COBALT-PORPHYRIN COMPLEX ADDITIVES

Radical polymerization of methylmethacrylate in the presence of a poly meric inhibitor which is not mixed with polymethylmethacrylate formed is studied. Varying of the initial conditions has been found to signif icantly alter not only the initial stage of the process but later ones as well. Mass transfer different from diffusion and convection is obs erved: the seed material together with active species contained in it is entrained by the travelling reaction front. Polymethylmethacrylate with cobalt-hematoporphyrin complex additives was used as a seed (its presence is the necessary condition for frontal polymerization). A dec rease in the molecular weight of polymethylmethacrylate formed charact eristic of the complex additive was observed not only in probes sample d at the early reaction stage near the seed, but in polymer sampled wh en the reaction front departs far away from the initial seed.