Living radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) through the use of benzyl diethyl dithiocarbamate (BDC) was studied. The aim was to investigate the role of the concentration, BDC-to-MMA mol ratio, and reaction time upon the molecular weight, polydispersity, and conversion of the product. It was found that the molecular weight and the conversion increase with increase of the concentration at the expense of low polydispersity. The reaction time also played a significant role, especially at a relatively long reaction time where molecular weight, polydispersity, and conversion increased with increasing reaction time. In terms of the mol ratio effect, it was found that there was a critical mol ratio for maximum conversion. The results indicate that the kinetics of polymerization of MMA through the use of a BDC inifeter is different from that in the presence of a conventional initiator. (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.