Studies on the polymerization of methacrylic esters. Part I. Polymerization of n‐butyl methacrylate and isobutyl methacrylate

Kinetics of the polymerization of n‐butyl methacrylate and isobutyl methacrylate have been reported in this paper. The average degree of polymerization (DP) has been found to remain reasonably constant upto about 30 per cent conversion beyond which it is found to increase with conversion. The methacrylic esters are characterized by low chain transfer to monomer. Ki for both the esters have been determined. From a double logarithmic plot of [η] against M the values of K and α of the STAUDINGER‐KUHN equation have been obtained for the poly‐n‐butyl methacrylate. Using the values of K and α thus obtained molecular weights of fractionated samples of polyisobutyl methacrylate have been calculated. Attempt has been made to test the validity of PALIT's equation connecting [η] and M.