Kinetic Studies of the Solution Polymerization of Trioxane Catalyzed by BF3·O(C2H5)2. II. The Effect of Catalyst and Water Concentrations of the Molecular Weight of the Polymer

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Abstract
In the solution polymerization of trioxane catalyzed by BF3·O(C2H5)2, the dependence of the molecular weight of the polymer formed on the polymerization conditions has been studied. In general, the molecular weight of the polymer formed increases in the course of polymerization, keeps a constant value over a certain range of conversion, and then again incerases remarkably. The molecular weight of the polymers formed decrease with an increase in the catalyst and water concentrations. This phenomenon can be explained qualitatively on the assumptions that the rate of the propagation reaction is smaller than that of the initiation reaction and that the chain breaking occurs through the reaction with water, which is consumed as the polymerization proceeds. This is equal to the assumption that the chain carrier is an oxonium ion in the cationic polymerization of trioxane.