A tracer study of the persulfate–bisulfite-catalyzed polymerization of acrylonitrile

Abstract

A tracer study has been made of the polymerization of acrylonitrile in an aqueous solution at 25°C with the use of radioactive K2S352O8 and NaHS35O3 in a redox catalyst system. Persulfate and bisulfite give sulfate and sulfonate endgroups, respectively. The contents of these endgroups in the polymer were determined and the following empirical equation was derived: Sulfonate is the major endgroup under every condition of polymerization. A tentative discussion of the polymerization initiation reaction in this redox system is given in order to account for the above experimental results.