POLYMERIZATION OF ACRYLAMIDE BY PEROXODIPHOSPHATE DIFFERENT ACTIVATORS REDOX SYSTEM IN AN AQUEOUS-MEDIUM

The polymerization of acrylamide initiated by potassium peroxodiphosph ate in combination with different activators (viz., sorbose and thiour ea) was studied in an aqueous medium at 40 +/- 0-degrees-C in an inert atmosphere. The rate of polymerization was found to be first power to the monomer and half power to the initiator concentration. Sorbose an d thiourea have half and unit orders, respectively. The overall energy of activation was found to be 38 +/- 2 and 47 +/- 2 kJ/mol for peroxo diphosphate/sorbose and peroxodiphosphate/thiourea redox systems, resp ectively. The effects of various additives, such as organic solvents, neutral salts, surfactants, and sulfuric acid, were studied. The visco metric-average molecular weight and the degree of polymerization were determined viscometrically.