Emulsion polymerization of methyl methacrylate in the presence of burnt mazote boiler deposit

Abstract The emulsion polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) using different initiators was carried out in the absence and presence of burnt mazote boiler deposit (BMBD). When sodium persulfate or potassium persulfate was used, the initial rate of polymerization was found to decrease with increase of the burnt mazote boiler deposit concentration but to increase when sodium bisulfite was used as initiator. The initial rate of polymerization was found to be higher in nitrogen atmosphere than in air. The apparent activation energy (Ea) was found to be 12.4 × 104 J/mol and 16.3 × 104J/mol in the absence and presence of burnt mazote boiler deposit when potassium persulfate was used as initiator and 5.9 × 104 J/mol and 5.1 × 104 J/mol when sodium bisulfite was used as initiator, respectively. The mean average molecular weights for PMMA were found to increase with increase of the burnt mazote boiler deposit when sodium bisulfite was used as initiator.