γ‐Radiation‐induced ionic polymerization of pure liquid styrene

Abstract

Abstract Pure liquid styrene, carefully purified and exhaustively dried, exhibits kinetic behavior under γ‐irradiation that can best be described in terms of an ionic mechanism. This is based on the observed linear dependence of the rate of polymerization on the dose rate, the independence of molecular weight on the same parameter, and comparison with the thermal and ultraviolet initiated polymerization of monomer prepared under the same stringent conditions. The highest rate of conversion to polymer is 400%/hr. at a dose rate of 10 6 rads/hr., corresponding to a G (‐monomer) ≈ 40,000.