Application of online near infrared spectroscopy to study the kinetics of anionic polymerization of butadiene

Online Fourier-transform near infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy in combination with a fiber optic probe was utilized to study the kinetics of the anionic polymerization of butadiene. The conversion of the butadiene to methylene protons in the polymer was monitored in solution polymerization conditions by monitoring the absorbance at 1632 nm. The off-line gel permeation chromatography, GPC, technique was used to validate the online FT-NIR spectroscopy method. Butadiene polymerization kinetics in cyclohexane initiated with n-butyllithium at different initiator concentrations and temperatures was studied. A phenomenological kinetic expression for the anionic polymerization of butadiene in cyclohexane initiated with n-butyllithium was determined. The predictions of the kinetic expression were in agreement with kinetic data reported in the literature.