Synthesis of Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyacrylonitrile (UHMWPAN) by Aqueous Suspension Polymerization

Abstract

Acrylonitrile (AN) and itaconic acid (IA) were used to synthesize UHMWPAN by aqueous suspension method with 2,2’-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as the initiator and polyvinylalcohol (PVA) as the disperser at different temperatures (55°C~75°C) for different timings (1.0h~3.0h). The usage amounts of AN, IA, AIBN and PVA were also technical polymerization parameters used to obtain the optimal polymerization process. We found that the conversion and the viscosity average molecular weight both achieved the optimum levels when the conditions were as follows: the total monomer concentration (21wt%), the monomer ratio (AN: IA=98:2), the usage amount of the initiator (AIBN, 0.01wt%), the usage amount of the disperser (PVA, 0.1wt%), the polymerization temperature (70°C) and the polymerization time (2h).