REGULARITIES OF FORMATION OF MOLECULAR-MA SS DISTRIBUTION IN BRANCHEDRADICAL POLYMERIZATION OF MULTIFUNCTIONAL MONOMERS

Regularities of formation of molecular mass distribution in radical br anched polymerization up to gelation of multifunctional monomers conta ining two or three allyl groups, two methacrylate groups, and several double bonds of different nature were studied. In the early stages pol ymerization yields linear molecules, whose length and the length of th e kinetic chain depend on the nature of monomers and conditions of pol ymerization. In spite of difference in the chemical structure of the m onomers, molecular mass distributions of the polymers prepared prior t o the gel point show similar multimodal character The dimensions of th e branched molecules corresponding to the maxima on gel permeation chr omatograms are characteristic of these macromolecules (8, 18, and 47 n m) independent of the conditions of polymerization and nature of the m ultifunctional monomer. Average molecular masses and parameters of bra nching of the polymers were determined. The conversions of gelation an d the conversions, below which the linear polymers are predominantly f ormed, were estimated, and their relationship with the degree of polym erization of the linear polymer was analyzed.