RHEOKINETICS OF FREE-RADICAL POLYMERIZATION OF ACRYLAMIDE IN AN AQUEOUS-SOLUTION

A method of rheokinetic analysis is applied to free-radical polymeriza tion of acrylamide in a water solution initiated by an oxidizing reduc ing system. The special feature of this system is the second-order kin etics of the initiation stage. Theoretical analysis predicts the main effects, such as the time dependence of viscosity and the degree of po lymerization, concentration influence of a monomer and an initiator, a nd the temperature dependence of the viscosity profile at different ex perimental conditions. Experimental data confirmed the idea about the second-order reaction of initiation. Observed dependencies were close to theoretical predictions. Rate constants of different individual sta ges of a reaction and ''apparent'' values of activation energy were fo und and compared with published values. The possibility of solving an inverse rheokinetic problem from viscometric data was confirmed.