Collect. Czech. Chem. Commun. 1993, 58, 2559-2564
https://doi.org/10.1135/cccc19932559

Polymerization of Vinyl Chloride by Organometallic Compounds. Effect of Moisture in the Monomer

Miloslav Kolínský, Jaroslava Michalcová, Václava Jíšová and Rudolf Lukáš

Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, 162 06 Prague 6, Czech Republic

Abstract

The effect of moisture in vinyl chloride (VC) on its polymerization initiated with tert-butyllithium was investigated. The conversion curves thus obtained and the dependences of molecular weights of isolated products show that within range 6.5 - 80 ppm. vol. water in vinyl chloride and the mole ration t-BuLi/VC 0.0004 - 0.03 the conversion of vinyl chloride decreases, while the molecular weight of PVC increases. The distribution curves of molecular weights become broader with increasing water content in the monomer, and their maxima are shifted to higher molecular weights. The water content up to 40 ppm. vol. in vinyl chloride does not affect the heat stability of PVC. At higher water contents the stability decreases.