Abstract
The effect of low molecular weight water-insoluble hydrocarbon additives on the formation of colloidal particles in suspension polymerization of methyl methacrylate and vinyl acetate has been investigated. Polymer colloids especially below 0.5 μm may be formed by dissolution of smaller sized polymerizing droplets, in addition to those formed by homogeneous nucleation. The additive prevents the complete dissolution of small droplets and thus changes the colloidal particle size and size distribution profoundly. The effect of the nature of and chain length of hydrocarbon additives in the polymerizations is discussed in the light of Flory-Huggins theory, the Kelvin theory for the effect of changes in droplet curvature, and the water-solubility of the additives.
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