PROPENYL ETHERS .3. STUDY OF THE PHOTOINITIATED CATIONIC POLYMERIZATION OF PROPENYL ETHER MONOMERS

The effects of photoinitiator structure and variations in the experimental parameters on the rate and extent of the photoinitiated cationic polymerization of propenyl ether monomers were studied. It was found that the photoinitiators can be divided into two classes: those which exhibit an induction period and those which do not. It was demonstrated that in those propenyl ether polymerizations using iodonium salts and certain sulfonium salts which do not have an induction period, a free radical chain-induced decomposition of the onium salt takes place. The reactivity of a particular onium salt photoinitiator was shown to be related to its reduction potential. It was also shown that the structure of the monomer plays a major role in the free radical induced decomposition reaction.