Aqueous polymerization of acrylamide by electrolitically generated KMnO4 organic acid redox systems

Abstract

Polymerization of acrylamide was carried out with potassium permanganate–malonic acid, potassium permanganate–tartaric acid, and potassium permanganate–citric acid redox initiator systems with and without electrolysis. The effect of potassium permanganate concentration, acrylamide concentration, and temperature on the polymerization yield was studied and molecular weights of polymers were determined and compared with electrolytic conditions. At low concentrations of potassium permanganate, continuously supplying Mn(III) has an advantage over the noneelectrolytic method for which polymerization did not occur under these conditions. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.