DIFFERENTIAL SCANNING CALORIMETRY AND THERMOGRAVIMETRY STUDIES OF POLYACRYLAMIDE PREPARED BY FREE-RADICAL POLYMERIZATION IN INVERSE MICROEMULSION AND IN SOLUTION

In spite of the free-radial polymerization of acrylamide in different reaction environments (non-percolating (A) and/or percolating (B) inve rse microemulsions, water/isopropanol solution (C)) the polyacrylamide s obtained did not differ in their T(g) values (A: 468 K; B: 469 K; C: 468 K). Similarly, the course of thermogravimetry curves for all thre e samples A, B and C, was practically identical. The results confirmed that the spatially oriented array of acrylamide molecules at the wate r/oil interface of the inverse micellar system was destroyed already a t early stages of polymerization. The formation of longer polymer chai ns due to the polymerization at water/oil interface was thus restricte d or even eliminated in favor of the propagation of polyacrylamide gro wing chains in isotropic conditions of water pools of inverse micelles .