New aspects of the aqueous polymerization of methyl methacrylate in the presence of some iron salts and complexes

The aqueous polymerization of methyl methacrylate was carried out at 40 and 50° in the absence and in the presence of some iron salts and complexes. It was found that the polymerization is catalysed by the iron salts but inhibited by the iron complexes as the iron is chelated in the latter cases. The average molecular weights of the polymers were found to be highest in the case of iron complexes and least in the case of iron salts. The mechanism of the polymerization is proved to be radical.