Copolymers of (2‐cyclohexylidene‐1,3‐dioxolane‐4‐yl) methyl methacrylate with acrylonitrile and styrene: Synthesis, characterization, and monomer reactivity ratios

The copolymerization of (2‐cyclohexylidene‐1,3‐dioxolane‐4‐yl) methyl methacrylate monomer with styrene and acrylonitrile were carried out in 1,4‐dioxane solution at 60 °C using BPO as an initiator. The copolymers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared, 1H NMR, and 13C NMR spectroscopic techniques. Thermal properties of the polymers were also studied by thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. The copolymer compositions were determined by elemental analysis. The monomer‐reactivity ratios were calculated by the application of conventional linearization methods as a result of Fineman–Ross and Kelen–Tüdős to less than 1 for both monomers.