PHENYL METHACRYLATE GLYCIDYL METHACRYLATE COPOLYMERS - SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION AND REACTIVITY RATIOS BY SPECTROSCOPIC METHODS

The free-radical polymerization of phenyl methacrylate and glycidyl methacrylate was carried out at 70-degrees-C in the presence of benzoyl peroxide using 2-butanone as the solvent. The copolymer compositions of seven copolymer samples with different feed compositions as well as the tacticities were determined by H-1 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The results were used to calculate the reactivity ratios by the Kelen-Tudos method, which were found to be r1 = 1.57 +/- 0.56 and r2 = 0.84 +/- 0.51. The homo- and copolymers were also characterized by Fourier-transform infra-red and C-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic methods. M(w)BAR, M(n)BAR and polydispersity indices of the copolymers were determined using gel permeation chromatography.