Tetrafluoroethylene and propylene were copolymerized in emulsion at low temperatures (≈25°C) by use of a redox catalyst containing ammonium peroxodisulfate, ferrous sulfate, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and hydroxymethane sulfinate. The kinetical study suggested that the working mechanism of the catalyst conforms the following scheme:
where the reduction of the ferric ion seems to be rate determining (i.e. k1 ≫ k2) and the hydroxyl ion plays an important role. The overall polymerization reaction is supposed to proceed according to the Case I of the Smith‐Ewart theory under the experimental conditions examined.
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