Kinetics of acryloyloxyethyl trimethyl ammonium chloride polymerization in aqueous solutions

Abstract Knowledge of the kinetics of polymerization plays a crucial role in the optimization of a synthesis process with appropriate polymerization rate and product quality. The polymerization of acryloyloxyethyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (DAC) was investigated using a dilatometer method in an aqueous solution. The impacts of temperature, monomer concentration, and initiator concentration on the polymerization rate were examined. The results showed that the polymerization rate increased with an increase in the temperature, monomer concentration, and initiator concentration. The activation energy of polymerization under the given conditions of 2.07 mol·L−1 DAC, 1.72 × 10−3 mol·L−1 ammonium persulfate, and 1.05 × 10−4 mol·L−1 Na4 EDTA was E a = 85.25 kJ·mol−1. The overall polymerization rate equation was R p = K[M]1.69[I]0.53. Based on the experimental results, the mechanism of polymerization was discussed in detail. The studies supplied the experimental basis for the industrial implementation of this reaction.