Catalytic chain transfer copolymerization of methyl methacrylate and butyl acrylate

Catalytic chain transfer is a very efficient way of controlling mol. wt. in the copolymn. of Me methacrylate (MMA) and Bu acrylate (BA). The exptl. data are compared to a previously developed model based on copolymn. kinetics and the mechanisms for catalytic chain transfer and for cobalt-mediated living radical polymn. that can describe the obsd. transfer consts. Secondly, it is shown that the presence of a catalytic chain transfer agent does not affect the reactivity ratios within the concn. range studied. Finally, the effect of conversion and therewith compn. drift on the catalytic chain transfer polymn. of MMA and BA is investigated and it is shown that under the conditions employed in the expts. a certain degree of macromer copolymn. is present at high partial conversions of MMA. [on SciFinder (R)]