Solution properties of poly acrylates. Part I. Poly(ethyl acrylates) and poly(n‐propyl acrylates)

Formerly it was reported that the length of the alcoholic residue of the homologous series of poly methacrylates affects their solution properties. In the present paper the results of osmotic pressure, light scattering, and viscosity measurements of poly(ethyl‐) and poly‐( n ‐propyl acrylate) in ethyl methyl ketone have been reported. The viscosity molecular weight relationship has been established for the two polymers. The concentration dependence of [II/RTc] and Hc/τ have been determined and the results have been discussed in light of polymer‐solvent interaction. The interaction parameter χ and the root meansquare end‐to‐end distance of the polymer chain ( r 2 ) 1/2 are largely influenced by the interaction between the α‐hydrogen atom of the polymer and the carbonyl group of the solvent. As expected from theory the second coefficient A 2 decreases and the second virial coefficient Γ 2 increases with molecular weight and the coefficients A 2 M w /[η] and Φ are fairly constant.