Miniemulsion polymerization of styrene using alkyl methacrylates as the reactive cosurfactant

Abstract

Stable styrene miniemulsions were prepared by using alkyl methacrylates as the reactive cosurfactant. Like conventional cosurfactants (e.g., cetyl alcohol (CA) and hexadecane (HD)), alkyl methacrylates (e.g., dodecyl methacrylate (DMA) and stearyl methacrylate (SMA)) may act as a cosurfactant in stabilizing the homogenized miniemulsions. Furthermore, the methacrylate group may be chemically incorporated into latex particles in subsequent miniemulsion polymerization. The data of the monomer droplet size, creaming rate and phase separation of monomer as a function of time were used to evaluate the shelf-life of miniemulsions stabilized by sodium dodecyl sulfate in combination with various cosurfactants. Polystyrene latex particles were produced via both monomer droplet nucleation and homogeneous nucleation in the miniemulsion polymerization using CA or DMA as the cosurfactant, with the result of a quite broad particle size distribution. On the other hand, the miniemulsion polymerization with HD or SMA showed a predominant monomer droplet nucleation. The resultant particle size distribution was relatively narrow. In miniemulsion polymerization, the less hydrophobic DMA is similar to CA, whereas the more hydrophobic SMA is similar to HD.