Free Radical Copolymerization and Kinetic Treatment of Cyclohexene With N-Phenylmaleimide

The copolymerization of cyclohexene (M1) and N-phenylmaleimide (M2) in chloroform with 2,2'-azo-bis(isobutyronitrile) as an initiator was investigated. The copolymerization of N-phenylmaleimide with cyclohexene in chloroform proceeded in a homogeneous system to give an alternating copolymer over a wide range of the comonomer composition in the feed. The kinetic parameters, such as reactivity ratio, overall activity energy and the effect of comonomer composition on the initial copolymerization rate (Rp) were determined. The bimolecular termination of the copolymerization was proved. A kinetic treatment based on the model of mechanism was proposed and used to test the copolymerization of cyclohexene and N-phenylmaleimide and to quantitatively estimate the k21/k12 value.