Methyl Methacrylate → Methacrylic Acid

Participants

Reaction Steps

The behenyl half ester of a C24 -C28 alkenyl succinic anhydride polymer produced generally according to the procedure set forth for preparation of Polymer B disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,854,893 was supplied as a solution in toluene, and this solvent was evaporated to leave a waxy solid. This wax, i.e. the reagent, was insoluble in methyl methacrylate monomers at temperatures up to 50° C. A monomer solution containing the wax reagent was formed of 85 g methyl methacrylate, 5 g methacrylic acid and 10 g of the wax by heating all to 65° C., at which temperature the wax dissolved into the monomers. The resultant solution was then dispersed in 200 g water containing 3 g polyacrylic acid (molecular weight about 2 million) as a dispersing stabilizer of the monomer droplets during polymerization in a one liter enclosed vessel provided with a stirrer for controlled agitation of the contents within the vessel. Under constant agitation 1 g of azodiisobutyronitrile as the polymerization inhibitor was added. Suspension polymerization was continued with constant agitation for two hours after which time the product within the vessel consisted of a suspension of small polymeric beads in the aqueous medium. These beads were separated from the aqueous medium, washed and dried to give free flowing beads of from 0.2 to 1 mm in diameter with 10% by weight of the waxy ester polymer reagent dispersed in the polymeric matrix.

Provenance & Evidence