Synthesis of water-soluble ionic terpolymers by inverse microemulsion and solution polymerization methods

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Terpolymers offer tunable properties like solubility and thermal stability.
• Water-soluble polymers are crucial in various industrial applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize water-soluble acrylamide-N-vinylpyrrolidone-(vinylbenzyl)trimethylammonium chloride terpolymers.
• To investigate the influence of synthesis techniques and temperature on terpolymer characteristics.

Main Methods:

• Free-radical inverse microemulsion and solution polymerization techniques were employed.
• Surfactant percentage and HLB concept were optimized for microemulsion formulation.
• Reactions were conducted at varying temperatures (40-75 °C).

Main Results:

• Both methods yielded water-soluble polymers with high conversions and molecular masses.
• Solution polymerization at 40 °C produced the highest molecular weight (959,840 g/mol).
• Inverse microemulsion incorporated more (vinylbenzyl)trimethylammonium chloride, while solution method favored acrylamide and N-vinylpyrrolidone.

Conclusions:

• Synthesis conditions significantly impact terpolymer composition, molecular weight, and viscosity.
• Inverse microemulsion and solution polymerization are effective methods for producing functional terpolymers.
• The study demonstrates control over terpolymer properties through tailored synthesis parameters.