THE REACTION OF POLYSTYRENES WITH BROMINE

The quantitative determination of the absorption by polystyrenes of oxygen from benzoyl hydrogen peroxide yields low results in all cases. The action of bromine on polystyrenes is a function of the concentration. With relatively higher concentrations of bromine the values obtained for added bromine are often negative. With more dilute solutions the added bromine always has a real value although it is never more than half the theoretical value and often less. In this case also the substituted bromine is low. The results obtained with the more dilute solutions of bromine might be interpreted by the assumption that polystyrenes are mixtures of saturated and unsaturated individuals, if conclusions based on a reaction so thoroughly affected by concentration and yielding in some cases negative values for added bromine were not altogether untrustworthy.