Aqueous polymerization of methyl acrylate initiated by ceric ion-reducing agent systems in nitric acid medium

Abstract

Abstract-A kinetic study of the aqueous polymerization of methyl acrylate (MA) was carried out at 30 • C in nitric acid medium by employing ammonium ceric nitrate (ACN)-methyl cellosolve (MC) and ACN-ethyl cellosolve (EC) as the redox initiator systems. The ceric ion consumption was found to be first order with respect to the ceric ion concentration with both initiator systems. The formation of complexes between Ce(IV) and reducing agents was observed. The orders with respect to Ce(IV), the reducing agents, and the monomer were evaluated for the aqueous polymerization of MA by Ce(IV)-reducing agent (RA) initiator systems. The overall activation energies, E overall , for the aqueous polymerization of MA were evaluated in the temperature range 27-40 • C. The effect of constant nitrate ion in the reaction medium was studied. A kinetic mechanism for the aqueous polymerization of MA initiated by redox initiator systems is presented.