Question

Write the chemical reaction to prepare that polymer which is used to prepare industrial fibers by addition polymerization of nitrile containing three carbon atoms in presence of peroxide catalyst?

Answer 1

We know that the polyacrylonitrile as the name suggests is the polymer formed from the addition reaction of acrylonitrile. So, the commercial name is related to its monomer. This polymer is used as a substitute for wool in industrial use.

Complete step by step answer:
Let us start by writing what is polyacrylonitrile and how it is formed. The polyacrylonitrile is a polymer of acrylonitrile. It is formed from additional reactions of acrylonitrile in the presence of peroxide as catalyst.
The polymer which is used to prepare industrial fibers by addition polymerization of nitrile containing three carbon atoms in presence of peroxide catalyst is polyacrylonitrile (PAN) or Orlon or acrilan. The monomer is acrylonitrile.
$nC{{H}_{2}}=CH-CN\xrightarrow{polymerisation}-{{[-C{{H}_{2}}-CH(CN)-]}_{n}}-$
PAN has low density and is thermally stable. It has high strength and modulus of elasticity. So, it is an important polymer in high tech. It is soluble in polar solvents and can behave as linear as well as branched polymer. Commercially, it is prepared by a free radical polymerization method. It is synthetically formed, semi crystalline organic polymer resin. It is thermoplastic but still thermally stable at large extent. It melts above $300{}^\circ C.$

Note: Polyacrylonitrile is also called PAN or polyvinyl cyanide. Its homopolymers are used as fibres in hot gas filtration systems, outdoor awnings etc. PAN can absorb many metals. Thus, it facilitates use in absorption materials. It is used as a precursor for formation of 90 % carbon fibre. The oxidized PAN fibre can be used to form flame resistant fabrics.