The inverse emulsion polymerization of acrylamide with pentaerythritolmyristate as emulsifier. 1. Experimental studies

Abstract

The inverse emulsion polymerization of aqueous acrylamide solutions in isooctane as dispersing media with the emulsifier pentaerythritolmyristate and an oil-soluble azo initiator was studied, particularly with respect to the influence of the chemically pure emulsifier. In this free radical polymerization, a water-in-oil emulsion with droplet sizes around 10μm is converted into a latex with average particle diameters between 80 and 200nm containing a polymer with molar masses up to 16×106gmol-1 Kinetic data were measured by adiabatic as well as by isothermal calorimetry. The influences of various parameters on polymerization kinetics, particle numbers and molar mass averages were studied. Experimental results show a positive influence of the emulsifier concentration on the reaction rate and indicate the dominance of a bimolecular termination re-action with respect to the polymer radicals above a certain initiator concentration. © 1998 SCI.