POLY(MONO N-ALKYL ITACONIC ACID-ESTERS) - THEIR PREPARATION AND SOME PHYSICAL-PROPERTIES

A series of poly(mono n-alkyl itaconic acid esters), with ester chain lengths varying from methyl to decyl, were prepared by emulsion polymerisation. The materials are all hard brittle glassy polymers at ambient temperatures and undergo a dehydration reaction in the range 430 K to 450 K. Dynamic mechanical measurements showed the presence of at least three other damping maxima: an epsilon -transition at 90-95 K, a delta -transition at 190-200 K and a gamma -transition at 240-260 K. The epsilon is associated with motion in the hydrocarbon part of the side chain, while the delta and gamma transitions are associated with relaxations involving the carboxyl and alkoxycarbonyl groups respectively. Glass transitions were only detectable in higher esters. The thermal stabillity of the polymers is also discussed.