A STUDY OF THE KINETICS OF PULSED LASER-INITIATED RADICAL POLYMERIZATION

This paper dealt with the kinetics of radical polymerization initiated by pulsed laser in the absence of chain transfer reaction. The rigoro us expressions of the number- and weight-average degrees of polymeriza tion for resulting polymer were derived, In the meantime, the normaliz ed molecular weight distribution functions for chain radicals, termina ted species and total polymer were obtained respectively, Numerical ca lculation shows that the values of various molecular parameters, such as number- and weight-average molecular weights and polydispersity ind ex, periodically vibrate between maxima and minima, and the amplitude of vibration decreases with increasing monomer conversion. The molecul ar weight distribution curves consist of some characteristic peaks, an d the number of peaks increases with the decreasing of concentration o f the primary radicals formed at the beginning per laser pulse, Compar ing with disproportionation termination, combination termination leads to a narrower molecular weight distribution of resultant polymer.