THE KINETICS OF RADICAL COPOLYMERIZATION OF METHYL AND LAURYL METHACRYLATES AT LOW CONVERSIONS

The kinetics of radical copolymerization of methyl methacrylate and la uryl methacrylate was studied within the entire range of monomer feed compositions. The dependence of the initiation rate on the composition of the reaction mixture, measured using the inhibition method, was sh own to obey the additivity pattern. The dependence of the apparent rat e constant for bimolecular chain termination on the composition of the reaction mixture at the initial reaction stages was calculated for th e Mayo-Lewis terminal unit model. The possibility to describe this dep endence in terms of various models assuming diffusion-controlled termi nation reaction was discussed.