In aqueous nitric acid solution

the polymerization of acrylonitrile initiated by metallic magnesium have been studied. The results show that the rate of polymerization is independent of the amount of magnesium used; when the concentration of nitric acid is higher than acrylonitrile

the equation of polymerization kinetics may be expressed asThe copolymerization of acrylonitrile and methyl acrylate supports a free-radical mechanism for this polymerization.