ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Developmental theory on biradical polymerization

E. Borsig and M. Lazár

Polymer Institute, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava

Abstract: The development of views on chemically uninitiated radical polymerization has been discussed. According to the prevailing view the initiation mechanism of such polymerization is based on the primary formation of a biradical which is responsible for the growth of the polymeric chain. However recently it became possible to explain the initiation mechanism of thermal polymerization of styrene based on the Diels—Alders reaction of two molecules of styrene, where the dimer reacts with a further molecule of styrene under formation of two monoradicals. Besides, the possibility of radical growth on both ends of the polymer chain has been taken into consideration. It has been given a survey of experimental results of investigations of polymerizations initiated by substances affording biradicals upon decomposition. Conclusively the present state of problems concerning chemically uninitiated polymerization as well as open questions of radical polymerization initiated by a substance affording biradicals upon decomposition have been discussed.

Full paper in Portable Document Format: 228a627.pdf (in Slovak)

Chemical Papers 22 (8) 627–637 (1968)