AbstractPolymerization of methyl methacrylate initiated by laurates of Fe(III), Co(III) and Mn(III) in benzene medium at 60°C was studied. The polymerization was found to be free radical in nature. The rate of polymerization was proportional to the square of the concentration of the monomer and inversely proportional to the concentration of the solvent. The initiator exponent was found to be 0,23. The rate parameters for the system were evaluated. The reactivity of the different metal laurates was compared. A kinetic scheme is proposed in the light of the experimental results involving initiation of the polymerization by a monomer‐initiator complex and termination by a initiator‐solvent com