[jmarjorie]

Would anyone know something about the following pertaining to DBP :

1) Is it pH dependent in its polymerization catalytic activity

2) Ideal temperature for optimum activity in liquid media
    with Ethanol as solvent (monomer dissolved in solvent)

3) How good will DBP catalyse addition polymerization
    for the following in Ethanol as solvent :
    A)  Isoprene (2-methyl buta-1,3-diene) C5H8
          CH2=C(CH3)CH=CH2
   
    B)  Monoterpene (2,6-dimethyl octa-1,7-diene) C10H16
          CH2=C(CH3)CH.CH2.CH2C(CH3)CH=CH2

4) Can Benzoyl Peroxide C6H5COOOH also work as well as DBP ?

Your kind assistance will be highly appreciated.
Thankyou,

jmarjorie

[HP]

Both Benzoyl peroxide and DBP(dibezoil..) are radical initiators in addition polymerization monomers having double bonds like mentioned by you. At some heating these initiators disproport giving .OH and RCOO. radicals which being very active readily react with the unsaturated monomers(addition reaction) generating secondary radicals to which the growing polymer chain grow by polyadition of other monomer molecules while reactions of termination growing polymer chains occurs as you may imagine.
For Benzoyl peroxide may give you this reaction scheme polymerization for example the simple vynil chloride monomer:
Ph-COOOH heat-->Ph-COO. + HO.
Ph-COO. + CH2=CHCl --> Ph-COO-CH2CH(Cl). + nCH2=CHCl--->....PVC.
You'll sai what the last terminating polymer group could be
 

[DrCMS]

Try looking on the Akzo nobel website at their Perkadox reagents.
http://www.akzonobel-polymerchemicals.com

For reactions in Ethanol the halflife looks a bit long; 10hrs at 71°C or 1 hr at 91°C.  
Even in refluxing ethanol you'd have at half life of ~3hrs 45mins.