The aqueous polymerization of methyl methacrylate was kinetically studied using acidic (&Sol) potassium pervanadate as initiator. The initiator exponent was 0.3 and the monomer exponent was 1.0. Polymerization is considered to proceed by a radical mechanism, and termination takes place quite measurably by a degradative initiator transfer mechanism. © 1983, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. All rights reserved.