Abstract
The synthesis and free radical homopolymerization of N-4-azodiphenylmaleimide (ADPMI) and copolymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and styrene (ST) with ADPMI using an AIBN initiator were performed in THF solvent at 70°C. A series of copolymers, ADPMI-MMA and ADPMI-ST, were prepared using different feed ratios of comonomers. The polymer samples have been characterized by solubility tests, intrinsic viscosity measurements, FT-IR, 1H-NMR spectral analysis, and thermo-gravimetric analysis. The values of monomer reactivity ratios r1 and r2 determined by Fineman-Ross and Kelen-Tudos methods are 0.16 and 0.63, and 0.26 and 0.25 in ADPMI/MMA and ADPMI/ST systems, respectively. Alfrey-Price Q-e values for ADPMI are Q = 2.27 and e = 1.92, and 0.41 and 1.949 for ADPMI/MMA and ADPMI/ST systems, respectively. It was found that the initial and final decomposition temperatures increased with the increase of ADPMI content in the copolymer samples.
Notes
Here abbreviations Wh-S, O-S, YO-S, B-S, and DB-S stand for white, orange, yellow-orange, brown, and dark brown solids, respectively.
*Soluble on heating.