Control of the monomer conversion and the polymer molecular-mass characteristics during the frontal polymerization of methyl methacrylate in a cylindrical flow reactor

Effects of the reagent consumption rate, type of the initiator (dicyclohexy lperoxydicarbonate or its mixtures with tert-butyl peroxide), and small PMM A additives on the degree of monomer conversion and the molecular mass and polydispersity of a polymer formed during the frontal radical polymerizatio n of methyl methacrylate in a cylindrical flow reactor were theoretically a nd experimentally studied. It is found that a significant increase in the d egree of conversion is achieved and a reliable control of the molecular-mas s characteristics of the product is provided if the reaction is initiated b y a mixture of two initiators, having different decay activation energies, and the initial reaction mixture contains a 10% PMMA additive.