Vinyl polymerization. LXVIII. The polymerization of methyl methacrylate in the presence of zinc chloride

Abstract

Abstract The polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) initiated by α,α′‐azobiisobutyronitrile (AIBN) in the presence of zinc chloride at 60°C. was investigated kinetically. Zinc chloride increased the rate of polymerization. Since ZnCl 2 dissolved in MMA to form a complex, such a complex was considered to have a close relation to the acceleration effect. It was found from the result of a copolymerization experiment with vinylidene chloride that the reactivity of MMA monomer increased in the presence of ZnCl 2 . A complex of MMA with ZnCl 2 could be easily isolated by removing an excess of MMA from the MMA‐ZnCl 2 solution. The MMA‐ZnCl 2 complex polymerized to a high molecular weight polymer.