Free radical grafting of monomers to polydienes. IV. Kinetics and mechanism of methyl methacrylate grafting to polybutadiene

Abstract

Abstract The radical grafting of methyl methacrylate (MMA) onto polybutadiene (PBD) in benzene solution at 60°C is more efficiently induced by benzoyl peroxide (BP) than by azoisobutyronitrile (AIBN). PBD exerts a pronounced retardation on the polymerization of MMA and the grafting efficiency is governed by the ratio of rubber to monomer in the system. With BP as initiator, a fairly simple kinetic expression, relating grafting efficiency with reactant concentrations, can be derived by making certain approximations, including the neglect of termination grafting. The experimental data are reasonably consistent with this equation and yield acceptable values of several kinetic parameters. With AIBN, termination grafting is more significant. In consequence the relevant kinetic equation can be only qualitatively validated.