Influence of applied electric fields on the free radical copolymerization of methylmethacrylate and styrene. An unusual decomposition of benzoylperoxide

Abstract

The influence of an applied electric field on the free radical copolymerization of methylmethacrylate (MMA) and styrene (ST) in benzene solution was investigated. With benzoylperoxide as initiator, retardation of the polymerization of MMA was observed in the cathode compartment, whereas the polymerization of ST and the copolymerization of MMA and ST in the anode compartment were unaffected. No such effects were found when azobisisobutyronitrile was the initiator. The effect of the electric field on the polymerization of MMA was attributed to the effect of oxygen formed at the cathode by decomposition of benzoylperoxide in an electrolytic redox reaction that also produced [graphic omitted] and [graphic omitted] together with the products of the thermal decomposition.