Polymerization mechanism of vinyl chloride with titanium tetrabutoxide–ethylaluminum sesquichloride catalyst and some physical properties of poly(vinyl chloride) prepared at low temperature

The mechanism of vinyl chloride polymerization by titanium tetrabutoxide–ethylaluminum sesquichloride catalyst system was investigated from the view of the stereoregularity of poly(vinyl chloride). The samples were prepared at a selected temperature in the range from 23 to −78°C. The tactic triads, obtained from 220-MHz NMR spectra, show clearly the adequacy of Bernoullian statistics in describing the mechanism for stereochemical propagation. The chain propagation proceeds according to Bernoullian statistics with syndiotactic placements favored by 550 cal/mole. These results suggest that vinyl chloride polymerizes by a free-radical mechanism under the action of the present catalyst system.