Effects of Solvent on Mechanochemical Polymerization of Methyl Methacrylate Initiated by Grinding Alumina

Mechanochemical polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomer was carried out by grinding alumina powder that had high thermal conductivity. A planetary ball mill with high grinding ability was used because alumina has high hardness. The experiments were conducted using different monomer concentrations and different types of solvents. In addition, the effects of grinding conditions on the fineness of alumina particles and the amount of generated polymer were examined. It was found that the amount of polymer could be controlled by the MMA concentration and that the rate of mechanochemical polymerization was highest in aqueous solution. The polymerization occurred in alcohol solvents, but to a limited extent because of inhibition of radical initiation.