Relations of weight-average molecular weights and the thermal properties of N-cyclohexyl maleimide-methyl methacrylate

N‐cyclohexyl maleimide (CHMI) was used to copolymerize with methyl methacrylate (MMA) by a suspension copolymerization method to produce heat‐resistant poly(MMA) (PMMA) in this article. The copolymers were synthesized by changing the weight fractions of azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) and dodecanethiol (DDM), while the weight ratio of CHMI to MMA was defined. The effects of the weight fractions of AIBN and DDM on weight‐average molecular weight (Mw) were studied. Meanwhile, relations between Mw and the glass transition temperature (Tg) and decomposition temperature (Td) and Mw and the melt flow index (MFI) were described. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 70: 2001–2005, 1998