Copolymer composition and microstructure

Abstract

Abstract A simple theory and treatment to characterize copolymer composition and microstructure was developed by applying the statistical stationary process given by Coleman and Fox to the three models in binary copolymerization in which the last one, two, and three monomer units in the growing polymer chain affect the probability of monomer addition. A simple method to distinguish the three models from each other is also presented. The theory was applied to a cationically obtained β‐propiolactone–3,3‐bischloromethyloxetane copolymer reported by Tada et al., to indicate how the penultimate units affect the copolymer composition and microstructure. The significance of the monomer reactivity ratios from the standpoint of copolymer microstructure is discussed briefly.