| Abstract: | The Polymerization of ethylene oxide catalysed by protonic acids and proceeding via the activated monomer mechanism differs from the polymerizations of substituted epoxides like propylene oxide and epichlorohydrin. The kinetics of ethylene oxide polymerization were investigated and compared with the kinetics of model reactions, namely addition of oligomers of ethylene oxide to ethylene oxide. The mechanism of polymerization involves, besides the addition of monomer to the terminal hydroxyl groups, the addition to the polymer ether groups. This reaction does not take place for substituted oxiranes, most probably because of steric hindrance. |
