Living copolymerization of octadecyl vinyl ether with isobutyl vinyl ether: copolymerization parameters and crystallization behaviour of the copolymers

Cationic copolymerization of octadecyl vinyl ether (ODVE) with isobutyl vin yl ether (IBVE) under reaction conditions leading to living vinyl ether-pol ymerization has been studied. The experimental results show that, under suc h conditions, the living nature of the copolymerization can be retained. Th e copolymerization parameters were found to be r(IBVE)=2.2 and r(ODVE)=0.30 . Incorporation of up to 50% of IBVE units has only a small effect on the c rystallinity of ODVE units. This is ascribed to the fact that the crystalli nity is due to the octadecyl side-chains and not to the main chain, and tha t the copolymers have a gradient-like (tapered) structure. (C) 2000 Society of Chemical Industry.