Property and Structure Characterization of High Molecular Weight Polyacrylonitrile Polymers Initiated by 2,2'-Azobis (2-methyl propionamide) Dihydrochloride Using Aqueous Deposited Polymerization Technique

Abstract

Powdery high molecular weight polyacrylonitrile (HMW-PAN) polymers were successfully synthesized by aqueous deposited polymerization (ADP) method with 2,2'-azobis (2-methyl propionamide) dihydrochloride (AIBA) as the initiator and itaconic acid (IA) as comonomer. The utilization of IA into the ADP system was conducive to relax the proceeding of thermo-oxidation process. Differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) curves of obtained PAN copolymers showed the doublet peaks character under air atmosphere, attributing to the exothermic cyclization and oxidative reactions during heat-treatment process. With the utilization of IA in the reaction system, crystallinity and grain sizes of the PAN polymers decreased. The stretching vibration of nitrile group (C≡N) at 2240cm-1 was the strongest peak in both Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR). And the stretching vibration and bending of CH2 were the stronger peaks in FTIR. Amido group (NH2), carbonyl group (C=O) and C-O single bond existed in FTIR of PAN homopolymer and copolymers, indicating occurrence of C≡N hydrolysis during polymerization process except carboxyl group (COOH) introduced by IA.