A Simplified Model to Describe the Effect of Alkyl Anilines on the Polymerization of Methyl Methacrylate

In the formulation of acrylic coatings, monomer blends are required to cure in situ using a peroxide initiator. Curing accelerators (typically alkyl anilines) are added to the blend in order to initiate the curing process at room temperature. This was proved to cause a process safety issue related to the presence of accelerators that increase the possibility of runaway reactions especially at industrial scale. In this paper, the polymerization of methyl methacrylate containing different curing accelerators has been studied. Based on Differential Scanning Calorimetry tests, a simplified kinetic model for the polymerization process has been developed, describing the induction time due to the presence of stabilizers, the global kinetic rate, and the influence of diffusion phenomena, based on a free volume theory approach specifically modified for the free radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate added with different types of accelerators.