Premium
Particle size distribution and molecular size distribution of polymers in soap‐free emulsion polymerization of styrene
Author(s) -
Chiu WenYen,
Lai SunMou,
Chen LeoWang,
Chen ChaoCheng
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.1991.070421017
Subject(s) - emulsion polymerization , potassium persulfate , monomer , molar mass distribution , styrene , polymer chemistry , nucleation , materials science , polymerization , polymer , particle size , emulsion , particle (ecology) , chemical engineering , dynamic light scattering , particle size distribution , chemistry , nanoparticle , copolymer , composite material , organic chemistry , nanotechnology , geology , engineering , oceanography
Abstract Polystrene (PS) particles, generated from soap‐free emulsion polymerization of styrene monomer, water, and potassium persulfate, were investigated by photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS) and TEM. The particle size distribution (PSD) was quite uniform. From the data of PCS, it could be said that lots of particles flocculated in the final stage of reaction. It was also deduced from the molecular weight distribution (MWD), measured by GPC, that, during the early stage of reaction, molecules with low molecular weight (<4000) might exist and the particles were perhaps formed through micellar‐type nucleation mechanism. When initiator concentration increased, reaction rate increased but weight average molecular weight, tensile modulus, and elongation decreased. The number density of particles was found to be proportional to 0.49 power of initiator concentration. However, monomer concentration did not seem to have any great effect on all of them above.