COPOLYMERIZATION OF METHYL-METHACRYLATE AND URETHANE METHACRYLATE .2.

A methacrylate monomer (MAUN) having a pendant urethane linkage was prepared by reacting tolylene diisocyante (TDI), 2-naphthol and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA). Photopolymerization in the absence of photosensitizer in the temperature range 32 to 62-degrees was investigated using differential photocalorimetry. The activation energy for photopolymerization was found to be 20.4 kJ/mol. Homopolymerization and copolymerizations of MAUN with MMA were also carried out in tetrahydrofuran at 60-degrees using benzoyl peroxide as initiator. The reactivity ratios determined from copolymer compositions derived from nitrogen contents were 0.2 +/- 0.1 (MMA) and 5.6 +/- 0.3 (MAUN) indicating that the copolymer was enriched in MAUN relative to the feed. The effect of copolymer composition on thermal stability in nitrogen was also evaluated.