THE PROCESS OF THE EMULSIFIER-FREE POLYMERIZATION IN THE PRESENCE OF BARIUM SULFATE POWDER

The process of emulsifier-free copolymerization of the Styrene-Butyl Acrylate-K_sS_sO_s-water in the presence of Barium Sulfate(BS)powder was investigated under varied conditions within the range of BS powder quantity,initiator concentration and reaction temperature.Experimental results showed that the rate of polymerization is proportional to 0.3-power of the BS quantity and 1.3-power of the initiator concentration.There is a linear relationship of 2/3-power for the conversion and time.A process for the polymerization is propose to explain the experimental results.

STUDY ON THE FORMATION MECHANISM OF MONODISPERSE PARTICLES IN THE EMULSIFIER-FREE EMULSION POLYMEAIZATION OF METHYL METHACRYLATE AND BUTYL ACRYLATE

The formation mechanism of monodisperse polymer latex particles in the emulsifier-free emulsion polymerizationof methyl methacrylate and butyl acrylate with potassium persulfate as initiator was investigated. A multi-step formationmechanism for the monodisperse polymer particles was proposed. The nucleation mechanism is considered to be thecoagulation of the precursor particles by homogeneous nucleation when the primary particles reach a critical size with highsurface charge density and sufficient stability. It had been proved by a special experiment that the early latex particles formedby the coagulation were stable. The primary particles grow by absorbing monomers and radicals in the polymerization systemand then become colloidally unstable again due to the understandable decrease of particle surface charge density, which leadsto the aggregation of the growing particles and the formation of larger latex pedicles therefrom. Aner the nucleation period,the preferential aggregation of the smaller particles in the propagation process leads to the change of the particles towards auniform size and narrower particle size distribution. The coexistence and competition of homogeneous nucleation,coagulation, propagation and aggregation result in the increase of the polydispersity index (U = D_(43)/D_(10)) in the first Stage,then its decrease in the later stage because of the competition of propagation and aggregation, and the gradual formation ofthe monodisperse particles.

EFFECTS OF ω-ACRYLOYL POLY (ETHYLENE OXIDE) MACROMONOMER ON EMULSIFIER-FREE EMULSI0N COPOLYMERIZATION OF METHYL METHACRYLATE AND n-BUTYL ACRYLATE

Well-defined nonionic hydrophilic ω-acryloyl poly(ethylene oxide) macro-monomer (PEO-A) has been prepared by living anionic polymerization of ethylene oxidewith diphenyl methyl potassium as the initiator and acryloyl chloride as the reaction termi-nating agent. The polymer was characterized by FTIR and SEC. The emulsifier-free emul-sion polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and n-butyl acrylate (BA) containingvarious concentrations of PEO-A was studied. In all cases stable emulsion coplymerizationsof MMA and BA were obtained. The stabilizing effect was found to be dependent on themolecular weight and the feed amount of the macromonomer.

STABILITY OF EMULSIFIER-FREE EMULSION COPOLYMERIZATION OF METHYL METHACRYLATE/BUTYL ACRYLATE/SODIUM MONO(ETHYL POLYOXYETHYLENE)MALEATE

A series of new water-soluble bifunctional comonomers having both carboxyl and alkyl polyoxyethylene groups, such as sodium mono(ethyl polyoxyethylene) maleate (ZE series) with various molecular weights of polyoxyethylene ethyl ether, were synthesized and characterized. The effects of the structural factor, the amount and feeding mode of the comonomers, the initiator concentration and polymerization temperature on the stability of emulsifier-free emulsion copolymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and butyl acrylate (BA) in the presence of a small amount of ZE with potassium persulfate as initiator were investigated. Stable, almost monodispersed MMA/BA/ZE emulsifier-free latex particles were prepared.

Semibatch Emulsifier-free Emulsion Copolymerization of Methyl Methacrylate and n-Butyl Acrylate in the Presence of 2-Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate

The semibatch emulsifier-free emulsion copolymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and n-butyl acrylate (BA) in the presence of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) initiated by K2S2O8 (PSP) was studied. The average particle diameter increases with an increase of total solids content, HEMA content, PSP content, ionic strength of the system and monomer feed rate, and decreases with the monomer feed ratio from 3/1 (MMA/BA mole.) to 1/3. The stability of this reaction system is improved by adding HEMA as nonionic comonomer. The high solids content (50%) latex with monodisperse particle can be obtained using this process.

Synthesis of submicron-sized composite particles with unique morphology by emulsifier-free seeded emulsion copolymerization

Polystyrene （PSt） microspheres with diameter of 375 nm to be used as the seeds for seeded emulsion polymerization were prepared via emulsion polymerization using potassium persulfate （KPS） as initiator in ethanol-water mixed solvents. Emulsifier-free seeded emulsion copolymerization of styrene （St） with acrylonitrile （AN） was carried out in the presence of poly（ethylene glycol） monomethoxymonomethacrylate （PEGm） macromonomer as reactive stabilizer and 2,2＇-azobisisobutyronitrile （AIBN） as initiator to obtain submicron-sized PEGm graft poly（styrene-coacrylonitrile） （PEGm-g-PSAN） composite particles with unique morphology. Scanning electron microscopy （SEM） indicated that St and AN together contributed to forming the unusual morphology. The concentration of St and AN, total monomer concentration, initiator type and the monomer adding method remarkably affected the morphology of the composite polymer particles.

Microwave Assisted Preparation of Monodisperse Polymeric Microspheres and Its Morphologies and Kinetics

The emulsifier-free emulsion polymerization of N-hydroxymethyl acrylamide （NMA）, methyl methacrylate （MMA） and styrene （St） was successfully carried out under microwave irradiation, and monodisperse polymeric microspheres were prepared. The experimental results show that the emulsifier-free emulsion polymerization under microwave irradiation has more rapid reaction rate, higher conversion and shorter induction time than the copolymerization with conventional heating. The apparent activation energies are 61.04 and 83.75 kJ/mol, respectively; the microspheres have spherical morphology, and the microspheres prepared by emulsifier-free emulsion polymerization under microwave irradiation are smaller, more uniform than those obtained with conventional heating.