THERMOLYSIS KINETICS OF 1,1-BIS(T-BUTYLDIOXY)CYCLOALKANES AND THEIR UTILITY FOR STYRENE POLYMERIZATION

Thermolysis kinetics of 1,1-bis(t-butyldioxy)cycloalkanes (cycloalkane perketals) with various alkyl substituents on the cycloalkane rings w ere investigated in cumene. Substitution at the 2-position on the ring greatly accelerated the peroxide decomposition; the accelerating effe ct of substituents is in the order H < n-Pr almost-equal-to Me < iso-P r. The bulk polymerization of styrene initiated by cycloalkane perketa ls proceeded via the two-step O-O decomposition and gave higher molecu lar weight polymers than polymerization by monofunctional initiators. It is shown that cycloalkane perketals act as unsymmetrical difunction al initiators.