Kinetics of the gamma-ray induced polymerization of ethylene in 1,2-dichlorotetrafluoroethane

Abstract The γ-ray induced polymerization of ethylene in bulk or in solution in the presence of 26.9–67.3 g of 1,2-dichlorotetrafluoroethane (R-114) was carried out in a 100-ml reactor under a pressure of 210–400 kg/cm2 and at 30°C, with a dose rate of 1×104–9×104 rad/hr. The rate of the polymerization and the molecular weight of the polymer formed increased with the reaction time and the pressure. The rate also increased upon the addition of an appropriate amount of R-114. On the other hand, the molecular weight decreased with an increase in the amount of R-114. The dose-rate exponents of the rate and the molecular weight were found to be 0.8 and −0.2 respectively. These results were analyzed kinetically, and the rates and the rate constants of the initiation, propagation, transfer, and termination reactions were evaluated. Further, the roles of R-114 in the polymerization were discussed.