Free-radical solution terpolymerization of acrylamide, acrylic acid, and acrylonitrile was carried out in a mixture of dimethylformamide and water (60 : 40, v/v) at 85ЊC using benzoyl peroxide as the initiator. The polymers were characterized by elemental analysis, IR, 1 H-NMR, TGA, and viscosity measurements. Elemental analysis data were used to evaluate the terpolymer composition. The reactivity ratios were determined by Fineman-Ross and Kelen-Tudos methods. The reactivity ratios (r) for the copolymerization of (1) acrylic acid / acrylonitrile with (2) acrylamide was found to be r 1 Å 0.86 { 0.09 and r 2 Å 1.93 { 0.03, respectively, by the Kelen-Tudos method. The Fineman-Ross method yielded a value of r 1 Å 0.86 { 0.05 and r 2 Å 1.94 { 0.09, respectively. The activation energy values for various stages of decomposition were calculated from TGA analysis. Voluminosity (V E ) and the shape factor (n) were also computed from the viscosity measurements in different ratios of the solvent mixture.

Homopolymers of N-vinylpyrrolidone (VP) and vinyl acetate (VAc) were synthesized by a free-radical solution polymerization technique. Copolymers of VP and VAc in various monomer feed ratios were also synthesized by the same procedure. They were characterized by elemental analysis, FTIR, PNMR, TGA, swelling, and viscosity measurements. The reactivity ratios of the monomers were computed by both FinemanRoss and Kelen-Tudos methods using data from both PNMR and elemental analysis studies. The activation energy values for various stages of decomposition were calculated from TGA analysis using Broido's method. The viscosity measurements were carried out at four different temperatures: 30, 35, 40, and 45ЊC. The activation parameters of the viscous flow, voluminosity (V E ), and shape factor (n) were also computed for all systems.

Tercopolymers of acrylamide (AM), acrylic acid (AA) and acrylonitrile (AN) synthesized by free radical solution polymerization have been characterized using 13C NMR and thermal analysis (DSC) techniques. Incorporation of the above three monomers was confirmed by 13C NMR analysis. The tercopolymers have similar polymer backbone structures, and a limited branching in the main chain was found as evidenced by DSC analysis. Microbiological observations of polymer‐dependent growth and of respiration studies using a soil bacterial isolate, suggested that these tercopolymers were used as growth substrate and were therefore biodegradable. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry

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