EFFECT OF PROCESS VARIABLES ON THE INITIATION TEMPERATURE AND EXOTHERMIC HEAT FOR THE COPOLYMERIZATION OF ACRYLONITRILE AND METHYLACRYLATE-I

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) experiments were carried out on a set of laboratory-synthesized copolymers of acrylonitrile/methylacrylate precursors meant for the manufacture of hollow-fiber carbon membranes. This was done to determine the effect of the polymerization process variables on the exothermic heat and exothermic initiation temperature. Factors such as methylacrylate monomer and azo-bis-isobutyronitrile (AIBN) initiator concentrations, stirrer speed and polymerization temperature were investigated as functions of the exothermic heat and the exothermic initiation temperature. An empirical approach was adopted that employed statistical experimental designs that were used to recognize analytical and statistical methods that translate the process responses into comprehensible terms. It was established that hollow-fiber carbon membranes can be reproducibly made by exercising very strict control over the polymerization conditions when using co-monomers of acrylonitrile (AN) and methylacrylate...