The copolymerization of acrylamide (AM) with sodium‐3‐acrylamido‐3‐methylbutanoate (NaAMB) has been studied. The value of r1r2 has been determined to be 0.56 for the AM–NaAMB pair. The molecular weights of the copolymers were relatively unaffected by monomer feed ratios. The copolymer microstructures, including run numbers and sequence distributions, were calculated from the reactivity ratios. The solution properties of the AM–NaAMB copolymers, as well as the NaAMB homopolymer, will be reported in a subsequent paper.

Dilute solution properties of copolymers of acrylamide (AM) with sodium‐3‐acrylamido‐3‐methylbutanoate (NaAMB) of known molecular weight have been studied as a function of composition, temperature, time, pH, and added electrolytes. Phase separation and potentiometric studies have also been performed. The AM–NaAMB copolymers exhibit high solution viscosities, good salt tolerance, and moderate viscosity‐temperature coefficients. In addition, these copolymers exhibit no phase separation in the presence of divalent cations as is common with many such carboxylated polyelectrolytes. These properties are due to favorable conformations in solution resulting from microstructure and hydrogen bonding effects.

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