Synthesis and characterization of poly(butyl acrylate-co-N-hydroxymethyl acrylamide) copolimers

In this study, the synthesis and characterization of poly(butyl acrylate-co-N-hydroxymethyl acrylamide) copolymers were carried out. The monomer N-hydroxymethyl acrylamide has been chosen as monomer for its rapid polymerization property. The synthesis processes were performed in solution phase by complex radical copolymerization with different monomer mol ratios using benzoyl peroxide as initiator and nitrogen gas as inert atmosphere. Copolymers were synthesized with and without a catalyst. Synthesis reactions occured about room temperature in very short time (about 2 minutes) in case of using catalyst (dimethyl aniline). Copolymers were synthesized in 1,4-dioxane, precipitated with diethyl ether, purified by solvation-reprecipitation method and dried at 40C under vacuum. In characterization stage; the relationship between the molecular weights of the copolymers were investigated by viscosimetric measurements carried out at 250.02C using dimethylformamide as solvent. The structure of the copolymers were characterized by FTIR, viscometric, elemental analysis and TGA methods. The composition and the type of the copolymers were identified by elemental analysis method using the Kelen-Tüdös and Finemann-Ross equations. Key Words: Butyl Acrylate, N-Hydroxymethyl Acrylamide, Copolymer, FTIR, TGA, Elemental, Analysis, Viscosity.