Radical Reactivity in the Initiation Reaction of the Polymerization of Styrene

Abstract

FREE radicals are known to have widely varying activities, as shown by the studies on the reactions of peroxides with various organic compounds by Kharasch¹ and by studies on copolymerization by Mayo et al.². It is possible from a study of the catalysed polymerization of vinyl compounds to obtain information on the activity of the radicals initiating the polymerization. Results are here given on the polymerization of styrene using various types of peroxide catalyst. As an empirical and arbitrary measure of the activity of the catalyst, the product of the rate of polymerization and intrinsic viscosity of the polymer has been taken. (The detailed justification for holding this to be a measure of the catalyst activity will be given on another occasion.)