Polymerization of tetrahydrofuran: By the system triethylaluminum/water. I. General kinetic studies

• DOI: 10.1002/macp.1967.021020120
• Publication Date: 2003-04-15T22:53:05Z
• Authors: H. Imai; T. Saegusa; S. Matsumoto; T. Tadasa; J. Furukawa

AbstractKinetic studies have been carried out on the polymerization of tetrahydrofuran with the ternary catalyst system Al(C2H5)3H2O‐epichlorohydrin at 0°C. It has been found that this is a stepwise addition polymerization, i.e., the propagating species is formed mostly in an induction period and during the subsequent second stage of polymerization the propagating species of an almost constant concentration continues to grow without being interrupted by chain transfer or termination.Based upon the above polymerization mechanism, the concentration of propagating species, [P*], was determined from the amount and the molecular weight of polymer. [P*] in the second stage was found to be proportional to the amounts of Al(C2H5)3 and of epichlorohydrin.