Pentavalent Vanadium-Ascorbic Acid Redox System Initiated Polymerization of Acrylonitrile

Abstract Kinetics of polymerization of acrylonitrile initiated by the redox system V5+ascorbic acid were investigated in aqueous sulfuric acid in the temperature range of 35–50°C, and the rates of polymerization, of V5+/disappearance, etc. were measured. From the result it was concluded that the polymerization reaction is initiated by an organic free radical arising from the V5+ - ascorbic acid complex formation followed by subsequent decomposition and terminated by V5+ions. A suitable kinetic scheme was proposed and the various rate parameters were evaluated.