PHOTOINITIATED HOMOPOLYMERIZATION AND COPOLYMERIZATION OF FURFURYL METHACRYLATE AND N-VINYLPYRROLIDONE

The study of the homo- and copolymerization of furfuryl methacrylate ( F) and vinylpyrrolidone (P) in bulk, initiated by the photoactivation of AIBN at low temperatures (0 and 40 degrees C), is described. The ki netic diagrams for the homopolymerization of F and P were obtained fol lowing the evolution of the heat of reaction by DSC, and revealed the autoacceleration and the vitrification effects on the polymerization r ate. The influence of oxygen in the photoinitiated polymerization was analyzed by determining the steady-state concentration of oxygen from the kinetic data obtained for polymerizations performed out in the pre sence and absence of oxygen. The results obtained indicate that P is m ore sensitive than F to the presence of oxygen in free radical polymer ization. The photoinitiated copolymerization process is little affecte d by the concentration of monomers, giving similar R(p) and Phi(m) val ues for both systems. However, at low polymerization temperature 0 deg rees C non-crosslinked copolymers are obtained, whereas at a temperatu re of 40 degrees C, the copolymers prepared at conversion higher than 20 mol % become crosslinked as a result of the active participation of the furfuryl ring in the polymerization process at this temperature. (C) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.