DUHOK POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY

TECHNICAL COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

PETROCHEMICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

Polymer LABORATORY
Name of student : 1-

Group : A
Name of experiment : Co polymerization of Styrene –
methyl methacrylate by Cationic polymerization
Number of experiment : 6
Data of experiment : 13 -10-2019

Objective:
To produce an polymer from Styrene – methyl methacrylate by
Cationic polymerization .

Introduction :
Is a type of chain growth polymerization in which a cationic
initiator transfers charge to a monomer which then becomes
reactive This reactive monomer goes on to react similarly with
other monomers to form a polymer. Addition of a proton to an
alkene linkage gives a carbo cationic species, which is a strong
electrophile, highly reactive and quickly reacts with available
nucleophiles.

In the case of hydrogen chloride addition, the carbo cations react

with chloride ion as the nucleophile, to yield the addition
product, an alkyl halide.

If the alkene is present at high concentration, the alkene can act

as a nucleophile toward the carbocation, forming a dimeric
species containing a new carbon-carbon bond and also a new
carbocation center. The cationic polymerization usually
proceeds at high rates both at high and (very) low temperatures.
For this reason, a uniform and constant reaction condition
cannot be maintained during polymerization. For example,
isobutylene at -100C in the presence of a strong Lewis acid
polymerizes to high molecular weight polybutylene within a
fraction.

Apparatus used:
1-Balance
2-round bottom flask (R.B.F).
3-beaker.
4-watch glass.
5- cylinder .
6- funnel .
7-stand .
8- injector (needle) .

Reagents:
1- Aluminium chloride Alcl3 (initiator)
2- methyl methacrylate , styrene (monomer )
3- Nitrobenzene .
4-methanol .
Discussion:
In our experiment we put AlCl3 (the initiator) inside the tube.
Then use rubber cover at the top of tube which allow us to put
needle inside tube. One of the needle use for venting oxygen
from tube and the second needle which connect to balloon full
of Nitrogen which inject Nitrogen to the tube for removing
humidity from the tube. After that we put our monomers inside
the tube by needles but we should be careful each monomer
should use different needle. Then using Luis acid to make carbon
with positive charge (cationic polymerization) .Then we will wait
till our reaction complete. When one day gone put methanol
with our solution to precipitate but when we put methanol in
our solution we didn't get our polymer product correctly the
reason of errors return to we use same needle for putting
monomer inside the tube , the second reason our equipment
wasn't clean and the last reason was the balloon blow up when
we put Luis acid.