Stereospecific copolymerization of methylstyrenes

Abstract

It has been previously established' that normally prepared nylon G6 polymers obey I, = 225( [71)1.34 ( 2 )The polymers used to derive eq. (2) may not, because of the methods of preparation, be completely equilibrated in all cases; however, very extensive interchange will have taken place during preparation.The close agreement of eq.(1) and (2) demonstrates that nylon 66 polymers of two series, one prepared by polycondensation and the other by random hydrolytic scission of a high molecular weight polymer, have the same ratio of viscosity-to-number-average degrees of polymerization. Although the ratio of two different molecular weight averages characterizes but does not define a distribution function, it is certain that nylons prepared in both the presence and absence of chain interchange reactions have a common distribution function. Taking into account theoretical and experimental s t u d i e~~~'~.~~ it is equally certain that this distribution function is that described by Flory as the most probable. eq. (2).I am indebted to British Nylon Spinners Limited for permission to publish this note.