Radical polymerizations of vinyl monomer‐stannic chloride complexes

The reactivities of stannic chloride complexes with acrylonitrile, ethyl acrylate, and methyl methacrylate (1 : 1 molar ratio) were evaluated from the radical copolymerizations with vinyl chloride at 35–50°C. The vinyl chloride content in the resulting copolymers with acrylonitrile and ethyl acrylate were found to increase in the presence of stannic chloride. The reactivities of the complexes of these monomers were evaluated on the basis of the results of the copolymerizations in the presence of an excess stannic chloride. The Q and e values of these complexes were as follows: Acrylonitrile‐stannic chloride (1 : 1 molar ratio) complex, Q = 2.64, e = 2.22; ethyl acrylate‐stannic chloride (1 : 1 molar ratio) complex, Q = 3.58, e = 1.92. However, the vinyl chloride content in the copolymer with methyl methacrylate decreased with the addition of stannic chloride. The Q and e values of the complex (1 : 1 molar ratio) were estimated as Q = 2–4 and e = 0.4–1.0.