KINETIC-STUDY OF THE AQUEOUS ELECTROPOLYMERIZATION OF ACRYLAMIDE, ACRYLONITRILE AND N,N'-METHYLENEBISACRYLAMIDE ON AN ALUMINUM-ALLOY CATHODE

This study concerns the potassium persulphate electroinitiated polymer ization of acrylamide, acrylonitrile and N, N'-methylene-bisacrylamide on a 5182 aluminium-magnesium alloy. Kinetic studies of the polymeriz ation gave the polymerization as - d[M]/dt = K (CD)(0.99) [persulphate ](1.12) [M](2.33), where CD is current density (mA cm(-2)), [M] is mon omer concentration (mol cm(-3)), K is a constant and t is time (s). It is proposed that the thick swollen polymer coating restricted the dif fusion of monomers and initiators to the electrode. The problem of mas s transfer by diffusion in the present system was confirmed by measure ments of the diffusion coefficient and by electron transfer fraction e xperiments carried out through the use of a cyclic voltammetry techniq ue.