ISSN 1017-2548(Print)
ISSN 2234-8530(Online)
Volume 24, Number 1
JKCSEZ 24(1)
February 20, 1980 

The free radical copolymeriaztion of N-vinylurea(VU) with vinyl acetate (VAc) was carried out at 60℃ in three solvents. VU-vinyl alcohol(VA) copolymers were prepared by the methanolysis of the VU-VAc copolymers. From the nitrogen content measurements of VU-VA copolymers, the monomer reactivity ratios for the VU-VAc copolymerization and the values of Alfrey-Price's Q and e for VU were determined. These Q and e values obtained in the cases of using methanol and methanol-dioxane as the polymerization solvents are comparable with those found for other monomers which have > NCO-pendent groups. The e value indicates that the urea group of VU is a electron-donating group. The copolymerization parameter of VU shows a strong effect of the solvents. These results are interpreted to be that VU is in equilibrium with its tautomer at the polymerization temperature.