KINETIC STUDY OF INHIBITED FREE RADICAL COPOLYMERIZATION OF ISOBUTYL METHACRYLATE/LAURYL METHACRYLATE BY DIFFERENTIAL SCANNING CALORIMETERY

Advancing the chemical engineering fundamentals

Polymer Science & Engineering (T2-12P)

Mr Ali Habibi
Université catholique de Louvain – UCL
Department of Material and Process – IMAP
Place Sainte Barbe, 2
B - 1348
Louvain-la-Neuve
Belgium
Belgium

Prof Juray De Wilde
Université catholique de Louvain – UCL
Dept. Material and Process Engineering – IMAP
Réaumur, Place Sainte Barbe 2
B - 1348
Louvain-la-Neuve
Belgium
Belgium

Keywords: Copolymerization Kinetics, Methacrylate, Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Weighted Least Square, Robust M-Estimation.

ABSTRACT:

The copolymerization kinetics of isobutyl methacrylate (i-BMA) with lauryl methacrylate (LMA) in benzene is studied using thermal analysis methods. A set of inhibited polymerization experiments is designed. Four different initial concentration ratios of Inhibitor/Initiator are considered. The in-situ polymerization experiments are conducted using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The weighted least square and robust M-estimation methods are used to retrieve the kinetic parameters of the copolymerization. The initiation parameter, , inhibitor transfer parameter, and the number of radicals terminated per each inhibitor molecule (stoichiometric ratio) are determined from the extracted data of induction period. The enthalpy of copolymerization and dependence of and on the monomer phase composition are determined from the data of uninhibited portion of the thermograms. It is indicated that robust M-estimation outperforms existing methods of estimation in terms of statistical precision and computational speed, while keeping good robustness properties.

Presented Tuesday 18, 13:30 to 15:00, in session Polymer Science & Engineering (T2-12P).