A Comparative Study on Emulsion Polymerization Processes of Styrene Initiated by Water-soluble and Oil-soluble Initiators

Abstract

The solubility of initiator determines its distribution and the roles played in emulsion polymerization as well as the final products, but this is still lack of systematic investigation. The present work focuses on this issue by comparing the kinetic behaviors and product properties of styrene emulsion polymerization initiated by 2,2-azoisobutyronitrile (AIBN) and potassium persulphate (KPS). Compared to KPS-initiated emulsion polymerization, the AIBN-initiated polymerization was found to be insensitive to the type of emulsifier, and have high polymerization rate as well as narrow molecular weight distribution and particle size distribution. This result indicates the effective free radicals are generated in micelles or colloids, which could decrease the proportion of homogeneous nucleation and make the process and product more controllable. As a consequence, there is a linear relationship between molecular weight of product and AIBN concentration in lg-lg coordinate. It provided a reference for the preparation of latexes with specified molecular weight and supported the possibility of the coexistence of multiple free radicals in one micelle or colloid when using oil-soluble initiator.