Abstract
The effects of various reaction variables on the stability of acrylic latices in a semibatch reactor were investigated by measuring the amount of coagulum formed and particle volume changes caused by limited flocculation. The amount of coagulum could be reduced signif-icantly with an increase in the level of sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) in the monomer emulsion feed. An increase in the amount of SLS in the initial reactor charge resulted in an increase in the particle volume change due to limited flocculation later in the process. The larger the ratio of methyl methacrylate (MMA) to butyl acrylate (BA) in the copolymer, the greater the amount of coagulum produced. Both coagulum and particle volume change increased with an increase in the electrolyte concentration. Within the range studied (500–800 rpm), the agitation speed was not important to the coagulation process. Experimental data also indicated that the polymer particles could lose their stability rapidly above 40% total solids content because of the crowding effect. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Published Version
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