Polimerização aquosa do metil metacrilato (MMA) na presença da vermiculita modificada pela troca por íons cromo (III) e cobalto (II).

Abstract

This work presents an investigation of the catalytic activity of the natural vermiculite (V-N) and that of vermiculite exchanged with chromium (III) (V-Cr) and Cobalt (II) (V-Co) for the aqueous polymerization of metil methacrylate (MMA), using sodium bissulfite as an initiator. The influence of various factors, as the presence of catalysts V-N, V-Cr e V-Co, calcination temperature of catalysts, catalyst mass, polymerization time, amount of exchanged chromium and cobalt cations, MMA and NaHSO? concentration and polymerization temperature, on the rate of polymerization of MMA has been studied. Based on the results obtained the following effects have been observed: 1) the samples of V-N, V-Cr and V-Co have shown catalytic activity on the aqueous polymerization reaction of MMA, and V-Cr being more significant. The catalytic activity was increased with the increase of the amounts of exchanged chromium and cobalt cations; 2) the increase in the calcination temperature from 100 to 800°C for the samples of V-Cr and V-Co increased their catalytic activity. However, this increase was highest for 400°C; 3) the effect of other factors mentioned in the previous paragraph also showed an increase in MMA conversion. However, for higher values of conversion, due to covering of the catalyst particles by the polymer formed, deactivation of the active sites was observed; 4) the catalytic effect of the samples studied is explained on the basis of mechanism that the presence of transition metal cations on the vermiculite surface favor the initiator dissociation and thereby more bissulfite radicals are produced which in consequence increase the polymerization rate of the MMA.