Aqueous polymerization of vinyl monomers in the presence of surfactants, 1. Acrylamide

The kinetics of the polymerization of acrylamide initiated by potassium peroxodisulfate in water were studied in the presence of the anion‐active emulsifier sodium dodecylphenoxybenzenedisulfonate. The emulsifier was found to affect the relative molecular mass of polyacrylamide, but it showed no effect on the rate of polymerization. The transfer constants to the emulsifier and the initiator were determined and amounted to of 3,6 · 10−3 and 5 · 10−3. The ratio of rate constants of termination and propagation kt / kp2 = 6,9 · 10−2 mol · dm−3 · s, determined for the polymerization of acrylamide in the presence of the emulsifier, is almost identical with the value for the polymerization without emulsifier. Thus, propagation and termination reactions of the potassium peroxodisulfate initiated polymerization of acrylamide in water are not influenced by the emulsifier.