Polymerization of vinyl acetate at low temperatures

The polymerization of vinyl acetate has been studied at temperatures down to −40°C. by means of a specially designed apparatus. The object of the experiments is to preparer polyvinyl acetates of as linear a character as possible by working at low temperatures in order to avoid transfer reaction to accumulating polymer. Polymers prepared at a number of temperatures have been examined osmotically and by the light‐scattering technique. Using the latter technique, it has been shown quite clearly that the size of the molecule, as measured by the dissymmetry measurements, gets smaller and smaller for a given molecular weight as the temperature of synthesis is decreased. It is believed that if the synthesis is carried out at temperatures below −30°C., then the molecules formed are predominantly linear in character.