Effect of surfactants on the degree of polydispersity of a suspension of polystyrene latex spheres

Abstract

The problem of satisfying the needs of the domestic market of the Russian Federation for creating domestic particle size standard reference materials in liquids to ensure uniformity in measurements of the granulometric composition of aerosols and powdery substances is considered. It is known that, under various conditions, monodisperse suspensions of polystyrene latex spheres can be synthesized, both monodisperse and polydisperse samples being obtainable. The effect of the composition and solubility of surfactants in a styrene-based water emulsion on the particle size of suspensions obtained as a result of emulsion polymerization, and their polydispersity, has been investigated. The metrological characteristics of polystyrene suspensions based on sodium, potassium, and lithium laureths synthesized in this study were determined using dynamic light scattering and laser diffraction techniques. It has been found that the size and degree of polydispersity of particles in suspensions based on lauric acid salts is primarily influenced by the solubility of the surfactant and the surface tension of the interfacial layer formed between styrene and water at the time of particle formation. The effect of the rate of reaction, as well as the concentration of surfactants, on the size and polydispersity of the synthesized particles, has been studied. It has been found that when potassium persulfate is used as the initiator in the reaction, particle size distributions are monodisperse for suspensions based on sodium or potassium laureate. The polydispersity degree of lithium laureate-based suspensions is approximately 1.5 to 2 times higher compared to other suspension samples. When azoisobutyronitrile is used as an initiator, all suspensions samples are monodisperse. It has been experimentally determined that the achievement of monodisperse samples is due to the polymer-monomer particle formation time, which is comparable to the monomer transformation rate. The results obtained will be utilized in the development and establishment of particle size standard reference materials for storage and reproduction of particle size values within a liquid medium.