Kinetic investigations of trimethylolpropane–diisocyanate reactions

Trimethylolpropane (TMP) is frequently used as a trifunctional branching and chain‐extending agent in polyurethane production. This article deals with the analysis of the reactivities of the three primary hydroxyl groups of TMP during reactions with two exemplary diisocyanates: aromatic diphenylmethane‐4,4′‐diisocyanate and aliphatic m‐tetramethylxylylene diisocyanate. The method of examination is online attenuated total reflection/Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. With this method, reactions in progress can be monitored simultaneously. It is shown that the addition of an isocyanate (here phenyl isocyanate) to the alcohol affects the rate of subsequent reactions. The higher the substitution degree is, the smaller the rate constant is of the reaction between the remaining free hydroxyl groups and the diisocyanates. This effect is largely determined by the type of diisocyanate. For reactions with very reactive aromatic diisocyanates, steric hindrance plays a significant role. For aliphatic diisocyanates, the substitution shows only minor effects because of the slowly reacting isocyanate groups. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 101: 4090–4097, 2006     

Kinetics of polymerization of dimer fatty acids with ethylenediamine

A generally applicable stoichiometric and kinetic model was developed for the polymerization of dimer fatty acids with ethylenediamine. The rate equations were second‐order before 90% conversion and were used between 405 and 475 K. The parameters of the rate equations were determined with nonlinear regression analysis. A comparison of the model predictions and the experimental data showed that the approach was useful in predicting the polymerization kinetics. The equilibrium constant changed from 3.175 to 7.311. The frequency factor and activation energy for the forward rate constant before 90% conversion were 2,716,894 kg mol^?1 min^?1 and 66.7 kJ mol^?1, respectively. The equilibrium constant was independent of the temperature at frequency factor and activation energy values of 74.4 and 9.7 kJ mol^?1, respectively. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 92: 2504–2513, 2004     

Kinetic study of the urethane and urea reactions of isophorone diisocyanate

Kinetic studies of the catalyzed urethane reactions between isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) and alcohols and of the urea reactions between an isocyanate‐terminated prepolymer [IPDI–PPG2000–IPDI, where PPG2000 is poly(propylene glycol) with a number‐average molecular weight of 2000 g/mol] and water in the bulk state were performed with Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Dibutyltin dilaurate was used as the catalyst for the urethane reaction, and various tertiary amines were used as catalysts for the urea reactions. The reactions were followed through the monitoring of the change in the intensity of the absorbance band for NCO stretching at 2270 cm^?1 in the FTIR spectra; the activation parameters were determined through the evaluation of the kinetic data obtained at various temperatures (within the range of 30–60°C). The kinetic data indicated that the catalyzed isocyanate/alcohol and isocyanate/water reactions both followed second‐order kinetics during their initial stages but later followed third‐order kinetics resulting from the autocatalytic effects of hydrogen bonding between the hydroxyl groups and the newly formed urethane and urea groups. Furthermore, activation energies of 64.88 and about 80 kJ/mol for the isocyanate/alcohol and isocyanate/water reactions, respectively, indicated that the urea‐forming reactions were more sensitive to the reaction temperature than the urethane‐forming reactions. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2008     

Toward an understanding of the role of water‐soluble oligomers in the emulsion polymerization of styrene–butadiene–acrylic acid. Function of carboxylic acid

In a further effort to understand the role of water‐soluble oligomers formed during the emulsion terpolymerization of styrene/butadiene/acrylic acid (St/Bu/AA), the reaction temperature, initiator concentration, and ionic strength were varied and the kinetics and resulting oligomers were characterized as a function of reaction time. The rate of polymerization (R_p) was observed to increase with increasing temperature and initiator concentration; the reasons for this vary. The increase in R_p with increasing initiator concentration is mainly attributed to the increase in the number of oligomeric radicals formed and, subsequently, the resulting number of particles (N_p). Increasing the temperature increases the water solubility of both monomers and polymers, which results in changes in the composition and molecular weight of the oligomeric radicals being formed. The primary reaction locus in the St/Bu/AA system was noted to shift to the aqueous phase after most of the styrene and butadiene had reacted, based on the unreacted AA profile. The role of water‐soluble oligomers (both oligomeric radicals and dead oligomers) during the emulsion polymerization of St/Bu with acrylic acid can be described by three periods: (1) particle generation and (2) before and (3) after the critical surface saturation concentration (CSSC) is reached during the particle growth period. The incorporation of AA monomer into the oligomer chains after the CSSC may cause destabilization of the latexes through a bridging flocculation mechanism. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 88: 1988–1999, 2003     

Hydrosilylation reaction of methylhydridesiloxane to phenylacetylene

The hydrosilylation reaction of α,ω‐bis(trimethylsiloxy)methylhydridesiloxane to phenylacetylene in the presence of catalyst—platinum hydrochloric acid (0.1M solution in tetrahydrofuran)—at 1 : 35 ratio of initial compounds, at various temperatures (40–60°C) was investigated and methylsiloxane oligomers with phenethenyl substituted groups in the side chain has been obtained. It was shown that complete hydrosilylation of all active (Si? H groups do not take place. The hydrosilylation reaction order, activation energy, and rate constants were found. The synthesized oligomers were characterized by ¹H and ¹³C NMR and IR spectral data. Gel‐permeation chromatographic, differential scanning calorimetric, thermogravimetric, and wide‐angle X‐ray investigations of synthesized oligomers were carried out. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 100: 2511–2515, 2006     

Synthesis and photopolymerization of 2‐(acryloyloxy)ethyl piperidine‐1‐carboxylate and 2‐(acryloyloxy)ethyl morpholone‐4‐carboxylate

Two low‐viscosity monomers, 2‐(acryloyloxy)ethyl piperidine‐1‐carboxylate (AEPC II) and 2‐(acryloyloxy)ethyl morpholone‐4‐carboxylate (AEMC), were synthesized with a non‐isocyanate route. The photopolymerization kinetics was monitored by real‐time infrared spectroscopy with a horizontal sample holder. The results indicated that AEPC II and AEMC had high ultraviolet curing rates and final double‐bond conversions, which could reach 90 and 95%, respectively. The glass‐transition temperatures of AEPC II/urethane acrylate resin (1/4 w/w), AEMC/urethane acrylate resin (1/4 w/w), and isobornyl acrylate/urethane acrylate resin (1/4 w/w) mixtures were 37.5, 45.6, and 57°C, respectively. The crosslink density of the AEMC/urethane acrylate resin (1/4 w/w) mixture was lower than that of the isobornyl acrylate/urethane acrylate resin (1/4 w/w) mixture. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Study on propene polymerization using a novel spherical Ziegler‐Natta catalyst and its kinetics

The effects of the Al/Ti ratio and external donor (ED) on the catalytic activity and kinetics of propene polymerization catalyzed by a spherical Ziegler‐Natta (Z‐N) catalyst were investigated. The preparation conditions of the catalyst play an important role in the polymerization kinetics. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 90: 3737–3740, 2003     

Fluorescence method using labeled chromophores to study the curing kinetics of a polyurethane system

A fluorescence method using labeled chromophores to study the curing kinetics of a polyurethane (PU) system was developed. A PU system based on fluorescent‐labeled hexamethylene diisocyanate and a polyol (polyether/polyester) was cured at different temperatures (25, 40, 50, and 65°C). The fluorescent response from the 5‐dimethylaminonaphtalene‐1‐(N‐2‐aminoethyl)sulfonamide and 4‐methacryloylamino‐4′‐nitrostilbene moieties chemically bonded to the PU system was monitored as a function of the curing time. With the fluorescence data, it was possible to model the kinetics of the curing process. Methods based on the fluorescence intensity ratio and the first moment of the fluorescent band emission were applied to determine the degree of curing of the PU system. In addition, it was possible to calculate an apparent activation energy for the curing process, and a value of 17 kJ/mol was obtained. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 86: 2992–3000, 2002     

Effect of the anionic‐group/cationic‐group ratio on the swelling behavior and controlled release of agrochemicals of the amphoteric,superabsorbent polymer poly(acrylic acid‐co‐diallyldimethylammonium chloride)

A series of amphoteric, superabsorbent polymers [poly(acrylic acid‐co‐diallyldimethylammonium chloride)] with different molar ratios of anionic groups to cationic groups were prepared by solution polymerization to investigate their swelling behaviors and the controlled release of agrochemicals. Various factors, including the solution pH, the concentrations of different salt solutions, and the temperature, were studied. The dynamic parameters of hydrogels at different temperatures suggested that diffusion was Fickian at lower temperatures, whereas non‐Fickian diffusion prevailed at higher temperatures. A copolymer hydrogel with a low anionic‐group/cationic‐group ratio showed a higher swelling capacity in water and higher salt tolerance. Also, the anionic‐group/cationic‐group ratio was not the dominant factor in determining the water retention. A poly(acrylic acid‐co‐diallyldimethylammonium chloride) hydrogel could control the release of agrochemicals effectively. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102: 986–991, 2006     

Properties and crystallization kinetics of poly(ether ether ketone)‐co‐poly(ether ether ketone ketone) block copolymers

A series of block copolymers composed of poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) and poly(ether ether ketone ketone) (PEEKK) components were prepared from their corresponding oligomers via a nucleophlilic aromatic substitution reaction. Various properties of the copolymers were investigated with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and a tensile testing machine. The results show that the copolymers exhibited no phase separation and that the relationship between the glass‐transition temperature (T_g) and the compositions of the copolymers approximately followed the formula T_g = T_g1X₁ + T_g2X₂, where T_g1 and T_g2 are the glass‐transition‐temperature values of PEEK and PEEKK, respectively, and X₁ and X₂ are the corresponding molar fractions of the PEEK and PEEKK segments in the copolymers, respectively. These copolymers showed good tensile properties. The crystallization kinetics of the copolymers were studied. The Avrami equation was used to describe the isothermal crystallization process. The nonisothermal crystallization was described by modified Avrami analysis by Jeziorny and by a combination of the Avrami and Ozawa equations. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 97: 1652–1658, 2005     

Kinetic analysis of the imidization of poly(styrene‐co‐maleic anhydride) with aniline in the melt

On the basis of the competitive reactions of intermediate poly(styrene‐co‐N‐phenyl maleamic acid) (SNPMA) to produce either poly(styrene‐co‐maleic anhydride) (SMA) or poly(styrene‐co‐N‐phenyl maleimide) (SNPMI), the imidization kinetics of SMA with aniline in the molten state were investigated by a novel approach. The volatiles emitted during the reaction of SNPMA were monitored online with both thermogravimetric analysis and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) integrated technology. The experimental results directly and definitely indicate that the amidization reaction from SMA to SNPMA in the melt was reversible. Moreover, the kinetic parameters of the competitive reactions of SNPMA in the melt to produce either SMA or SNPMI were determined by FTIR analysis and then compared with those parameters in solution that were obtained in our previous study. It was also implied that the forward ring‐opening reaction of SMA in the melt was nearly instantaneous and that the rates of the competitive reactions of SNPMA to produce either SMA or SNPMI were crucial for the total imidization of SMA. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Adsorption kinetics and isotherms of a pesticide on polyester fibers by carrier finishing

The effective management and control of mosquitoes in human living environments are crucial to minimize vector‐borne diseases in homes. Pesticides, such as pyrethroids, are considered powerful tools in the control of mosquitoes and are intended to be incorporated into textiles. The adsorptive behavior of the pesticide ZX‐1 [the main component is 1,1,1‐trichloro‐2,2‐bis(p‐chlorophenyl) ethane] in aqueous solution on polyesters fibers at different treatment times, temperatures, and concentrations are discussed in this article. The second‐order model was found to be the most suitable for describing the kinetic diffusion process, and the intraparticle diffusion was the rate‐controlling process. The Langmuir, Freundlich, and Dubinin–Radushkevich adsorption models were applied to these approaches. The results show that the Langmuir model appeared to fit the adsorption of ZX‐1 on the polyester fibers better than other adsorption models. In addition, thermodynamic parameters, such as the free energy of adsorption (ΔG⁰), enthalpy (ΔH⁰), and entropy, were calculated. Positive values of ΔH⁰ and ΔG⁰ indicated the endothermic and nonspontaneous nature of ZX‐1 adsorption on the polyester fibers. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Ultrasonic degradation of poly(acrylic acid)

The ultrasonic degradation of poly(acrylic acid), a water‐soluble polymer, was studied in the presence of persulfates at different temperatures in binary solvent mixtures of methanol and water. The degraded samples were analyzed by gel permeation chromatography for the time evolution of the molecular weight distributions. A continuous distribution kinetics model based on midpoint chain scission was developed, and the degradation rate coefficients were determined. The decline in the rate of degradation of poly(acrylic acid) with increasing temperature and with an increment in the methanol content in the binary solvent mixture of methanol and water was attributed to the increased vapor pressure of the solutions. The experimental data showed an augmentation of the degradation rate of the polymer with increasing oxidizing agent (persulfate) concentrations. Different concentrations of three persulfates—potassium persulfate, ammonium persulfate, and sodium persulfate—were used. It was found that the ratio of the polymer degradation rate coefficient to the dissociation rate constant of the persulfate was constant. This implies that the ultrasonic degradation rate of poly(acrylic acid) can be determined a priori in the presence of any initiator. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Preparation and characterization of ultraviolet‐curable nanocomposite coatings initiated by benzophenone/n‐methyl diethanolamine

A series of ultraviolet‐curable nanocomposite coatings were prepared with condensed nanosilica particles and with benzophenone/n‐methyl diethanolamine as the initiator. The nanosilica that incorporated into the nanocomposites did not aggregate even when the nanosilica concentration was as high as 22.5%. Adding nanosilica increased the curing speed, thermal stability, and ultraviolet shielding properties of the nanocomposites without reducing the transparency of the ultraviolet‐curing coatings. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 96: 912–918, 2005     

Modeling of the copolymerization,with depropagation,of α‐methyl styrene and methyl methacrylate at an elevated temperature

We propose a dynamic model for the copolymerization of α‐methyl styrene (α‐MS) and methyl methacrylate (MMA) in a batch reactor. The parameters are based on data from the literature and our own laboratories over the full conversion range. A two‐parameter model with constant reactivity ratios shows the most reasonable results. The dynamic model depicts the reaction kinetics and reactor behavior more clearly. Termination occurs mainly by the cross reaction of unlike radicals, and its rate increases with the molar ratio of α‐MS to MMA. The model enables us to predict the instantaneous and cumulative properties of the copolymer and also provides us with a basic tool for the optimization and control of industrial reactors. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 93: 261–270, 2004     

Styrene/tetradecyl methyl acrylate/3‐methacryloxylpropyl trimethoxyl silane triblock copolymers: Atom transfer radical polymerization synthesis and effects on the glass‐fiber/polypropylene interphase properties as a macromolecular coupling agent

Styrene/tetradecyl methyl acrylate/3‐methacryloxylpropyl trimethoxyl silane triblock copolymers (PSTKs), with well‐defined structures and narrow molecular weight distributions, were synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization. They were investigated as macromolecular coupling agents for the surface treatment of glass fibers. The reaction kinetics for the triblock copolymers were studied. The contact angles of the copolymers with water and diiodomethane showed that a modified‐glass‐fiber surface treated with a PSTK solution had strong hydrophobicity and that the impregnation of polypropylene on glass fibers was improved dramatically. In comparison with a film of 3‐methacryloxylpropyl trimethoxyl silane, the polarity of the surface free energy of a PSTK film decreased, whereas the dispersion increased greatly. The critical concentration of the macromolecular coupling agents was obtained, and the monolayer saturated adsorptive capacity was calculated with the Gibbs absorption isotherm equation. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 104: 1661–1670, 2007     

Nonisothermal crystallization kinetics of poly(butylene terephthalate)/montmorillonite nanocomposites

The melt intercalation method was employed to prepare poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT)/montmorillonite (MMT) nanocomposites, and the microstructures were characterized with X‐ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Then, the nonisothermal crystallization behavior of the nanocomposites was studied with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The DSC results showed that the exothermic peaks for the nanocomposites distinctly shifted to lower temperatures at various cooling rates in comparison with that for pure PBT, and with increasing MMT content, the peak crystallization temperature of the PBT/MMT hybrids declined gradually. The nonisothermal crystallization kinetics were analyzed by the Avrami, Jeziorny, Ozawa, and Mo methods on the basis of the DSC data. The results revealed that very small amounts of clay (1 wt %) could accelerate the crystallization process, whereas higher clay loadings reduced the rate of crystallization. In addition, the activation energy for the transport of the macromolecular segments to the growing surface was determined by the Kissinger method. The results clearly indicated that the hybrids with small amounts of clay presented lower activation energy than PBT, whereas those with higher clay loadings showed higher activation energy. The MMT content and the crystallization conditions as well as the nature of the matrix itself affected the crystallization behavior of the hybrids. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 99: 3257–3265, 2006     

Viscosity effects in the photopolymerization of two‐monomer systems

Photopolymerization kinetics and viscosity behavior of five different two‐monomer systems forming hydrogen bonds and composed of mixtures of a high viscosity monomer (HVM) and a low viscosity monomer (LVM) at various molar ratios were investigated at six polymerization temperatures. The monomers used were mono‐ or dimethacrylates. Detailed viscosity measurements of the monomer mixtures showed significant negative deviations from the theoretical values (characterized by excess logarithm viscosities) indicating that interactions between the molecules of the same type (in individual monomers) are stronger than those between two molecules of different types (HVM and LVM). The photopolymerization kinetics were analyzed from the point of view of the appearance, viscosity and temperature behavior of the most reactive composition (MRC), the one showing the highest value of the maximum polymerization rate within a range of the HVM: LVM ratios. It was found that MRC appearance is determined mainly by the initial viscosity of the two‐monomer system, whereas the functionality of the monomers (and network formation) is much less important (MRC is observed even in linear systems). The initial viscosity of all the monomer mixtures showing MRC lay in the range of 0.06–2 Pa s, which is narrow compared to the range of viscosities of the monomers (approximately 10^?3–10³ Pa s). © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Removal of Cu(II) by polypyrrole deposits on stainless steel mesh

The reduction of Cu(II) in aqueous media by polypyrrole deposits on stainless steel mesh is examined in this work. The kinetics of Cu(II) reduction, the influence of temperature, and the possibility of the regeneration and reuse of polypyrrole for Cu(II) reduction have been investigated. The morphology of stainless steel mesh/polypyrrole electrodes has been monitored with scanning electron microscopy. The X‐ray diffraction technique has been used to detect the formation of metallic copper deposits on the surface of polypyrrole films. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 104: 629–633, 2007     

Kinetic study of the polymerization of dimethyldiallylammonium chloride and acrylamide

The kinetics of the polymerization of dimethyldiallylammonium chloride (DMDAAC) and acrylamide (AM) with different monomer molar ratios initiated by an ammonium persulfate–sodium bisulfate redox complex in an aqueous solution were studied. The polymerization rate (R_p) equation, the activation energy (E_a), and the reactivity ratio were measured. The results show that when the n_DMDAAC:n_AM values were 1 : 9, 2 : 8, 3 : 7, 4 : 6, and 5 : 5, the copolymerization rate equation were R_p1 = k[M]^2.61[I_O]^0.51[I_R]^0.52, R_p2 = k[M]^2.70[I_O]^0.50[I_R]^0.53, R_p3 = k[M]^2.73[I_O]^0.50[I_R]^0.56, R_p4 = k[M]^2.77[I_O]^0.51[I_R]^0.59, and R_p5 = k[M]^2.84[I_O]^0.51[I_R]^0.61 (where [M] is the total monomer concentration, [I_O] is the oxidant concentration, and [I_R] is the reductant concentration), respectively when the temperature was 45°C. The E_a values were E_a1 = 79.10 kJ/mol, E_a2 = 81.39 kJ/mol, E_a3 = 85.15 kJ/mol, E_a4 = 88.88 kJ/mol, and E_a5 = 90.61 kJ/mol in the temperature range 35–55°C, respectively. The reactivity ratios of DMDAAC and AM were r_DMDAAC = 0.14 and r_AM = 6.11 when the temperature was 45°C. The structure of PDA was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and ¹H-NMR. The results of the kinetic parameters explained the differences in the copolymerization rate and intrinsic viscosity of PDA with different cationicities. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012