Question

How do we produce PMMA? one page long essay please not hand write its hard to read

Answer 1

PMMA:

Introduction: PMMA stands for polymethyl methacrylate and is one of the most commonly available acrylic plastic. In 1930, Rowland Hill & John Crawford were the first group from England to discover PMMA. PMMA is commercially available with brand names of Lucite, Perspex, and Crystallite etc. PMMA exhibit exceptional properties such as high resistance to Ultraviolet (UV) exposure and weathering. It is a though, strong, durable, transparent thermoplastic material and show superior environmental stability in comparison to other form of plastics. It can be shaped, colored, cut etc. These intriguing properties have been widely exploited in skylights, airplane windshields and other areas.

Production: PMMA is an in fact the synthetic polymer of methyl methacrylate and it relies on the polymerization process of methyl methacrylate for its synthesis. There are three kind polymerization techniques mostly applied for the production of PMMA. They are (1) emulsion polymerization, (2) solution polymerization, and (3) bulk polymerization. The general formula for methyl methacrylate is CH2 =C(CH3) CO2CH3.

In general, PMMA is exists in the ester of methacrylic acid and is usually derived from propylene often used in production process. Next, the reaction of mixture of benzene and propylene leads to the formation of the cumene or isopropyl benzene. The obtained cumene is subjected to the oxidation to deliver the cumene hydroperoxide. The treatment of cumene hydroperoxide with acid affords acetone and is further converted to flammable liquid known as methyl methacrylate. In the presence of free radical initiators, the obtained methyl methacrylate is polymerized in the form of bulk liquid or suspended fine droplets of water to deliver the desired material (PMMA).

There are many methods available for the synthesis of methyl methacrylate. It can be synthesized by reacting acetone [CH3COCH3] in the presence of sodium cyanide [NaCN] to offer acetone cyanohydrin [(CH3)2C(OH)CN]. Subsequently, the treatment of acetone cyanohydrin with methyl alcohol [CH3OH] leads to the generation of methyl methacrylate (monomeric unit of PMMA).