Polymerisation of methyl methacrylate by organometallic compounds. I. Kinetic studies

The kinetics of the polymerisation of methyl methacrylate by GRIGNARD reagents are examined. The optimum temperature effect is shown to be due to reactions, which, during the first few minutes of the polymerisation, determine the concentration of active macromolecular chains. These reactions are also responsible for the complex dependence of rate of polymerisation on initial monomer concentration and the transient colour which appears when the reagents are mixed. kp is of the order of 10−21./mole · s. and the energy of activation is small. Preliminary experiments with triethylaluminium polymerisations are reported. These also show an optimum temperature effect.