• Journal of Adhesion and Interface
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.11-19
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• 2001

The phase-transfer catalyzed radical polymerization of styrene was carried out using tricaprylylmethylammonium chloride as a phase-transfer catalyst in a two-phase system of an aqueous $Na_2S_2O_8$ solution and toluene at $60^{\circ}C$ under nitrogen atmosphere. The initial rate of radical polymerization was expressed as the combined terms of concentrations of quaternary onium cation and peroxydisulfate anion in the aqueous phase rather than the fed concentrations of catalyst and $Na_2S_2O_8$. The observed initial rate of radical polymerization was used to analyze the radical polymerization mechanism with a cycle phase-transfer initiation step in the heterogeneous liquid-liquid system. The viscosity average molecular weight of polystyrene was inversely proportional to concentration of $Na_2S_2O_8$ expressed as $[Q^+]([S_2O{_8}^{2-}]{\alpha}_2)^{1/2}$ derived by the radical polymerization mechanism.