The radical polymerization of acrylamide in various solvents in the presence of Lewis acids has been investigated. Considerable effects of LiBr, LiCl and CaCl 2 on the total reaction rate and the values of k p and k 1 for polymerization in DMSO or THF have been shown. For the polymerization of acrylamide in aqueous solution, addition of the salts does not affect the kinetic behaviour of the process. The observed effect of salts arises from complexation between the salt and the monomer and/or the propagating radicals.
