The chemically initiated solid‐state polymerization of hexamethylcyclotrisiloxane

摘要

AbstractThe HBr‐initiated solid‐state polymerization of hexamethylcyclotrisiloxane has been investigated. Up to about 70 conversion, the rate of polymerization is found to be constant but the molecular weight of the polymer formed was observed to increase with conversion. Temperature did not have a marked effect on the polymerization rate as an activation energy of only 2.8 kcal/mole was observed, whereas the rate was found to be exponentially related to the HBr vapor pressure. The HBr and the radiation‐initiated solid‐state polymerization are c