SPREADSHEETS IN COPOLYMERIZATION STUDIES

A Lotus spreadsheet (LS) was utilized as part of a copolymerization st udy of methyl methacrylate (MMA) with N-phenylmaleimide (MP) and with some derivatives of MP, namely N-o-chlorophenylmaleimide (MOCP), N-p-t olylmaleimide (MPT), and N-o-tolylmaleimide (MOT). The use of LS provi ded a very rapid method to obtain values of copolymerization parameter s which were in very good agreement with non-spreadsheet reported valu es. Further, a novel LS macro was developed which could be employed to ascertain the shape of the copolymer composition curve (copolymer com position as a function of monomer composition). Monomer reactivity rat ios, r(1) and r(2), were determined as well as values of semi-empirica l copolymerization parameters Q and e. An attempt was made to correlat e the monomer structures used with the values of Q and e. An empirical decomposition temperature index (DTI) was also devised to measure the thermal stability of copolymers of MMA and MP as a function MP conten t. (C) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.