The characteristics and product structure of alternating copolymerization of styrene with maleic anhydride catalyzed by Fe(acac)3-Al(i-Bu)3 are presented and discussed in the present paper.The copolymer was characterized by IR and elementary analysis.The copolymer is a product of high alternation. Maleic anhydride and styrene are 53.3% and 46.7%

respectively in the copolymer.The copolymerization can be realized in the solvents such as aromatic hydrocarbon and alkane.The yield is higher in aromatic hydrocarbon than in the others. The third composition exerts a great influence on the copolymerization. Molecular weight and yield of copolymer are lower with the third composition of a

a'-dipyridel

8-hydroxy quindine

pyridine and acetone than that without the third cmposition. The yield of copolymer is higher with the third composition of tetrachoro-methane than that without the third composition. Molecular weight of copolymer increases as Al/Fe molar ratio increases.But the yield of copolymer dereases as Al/Fe molar ratio increases. The suitable Al/Fe molar ratio is four. The yield of copolymer increases and molecular weight decreases as concentration of catalysts increases. The suitable concentration of catalysts is [Fe]=1.5×10-2mol/L. The copolymerization can be obtained at room temperature

however

the increasing reaction temperature causes an increase of the copolymer yield and a drop of molecular weight of the polymer produced. The suitable temperature is 50～60℃. The yield and mollar weight of the polymer grow with increasing polymerization time. The kinetic studies indicate that the rate of copolymerization reaction is first order with respect to monomer concentration. E equals 48.6 kJ/mol. The reaction mechanism studies indicate that the copolyerization reaction exhibits the coordinate mechanism.