ABSTRACT:The kinetics of polymerization of acrylonitrile (AN) initiated by a V(V)-cyclohexanone redox system in the presence of a surfactant was studied over a temperature range of 30-50ЊC in acidic medium. The anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) enhances the rate of polymerization (R p ) as well as rate of V(V) consumption (0R v ). The cationic surfactant, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), decreases both R p and 0R v , while the nonionic surfactant, Triton-X-100, has no effect on the rate. The change of concentration of the surfactant, monomer, acid, and cosolvent on the rate of polymerization were examined. Both R p and 0R v are computed in the presence of different organic substrates, i.e., cyclohexanone, cyclopentanone, glycerol, and citric acid. The viscosity-average molecular weight (M V v ) of the polycrylonitrile, obtained at different [SDS], was determined using the Mark-Howink relationship. A suitable mechanistic scheme was proposed for the process.
EXPERIMENTAL INTRODUCTION MaterialsReviews of the literature indicate that an appreciable amount of work has been carried out on the Acrylonitrile (Sisco Chem.) was washed with 5% NaOH and 3% o-phosphoric acid and, finally, with kinetics of aqueous vinyl polymerization by V(V) water followed by drying over CaCl 2 . It was furwith an organic substrate by various workers.