ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Emulsion Polymerization of Unsaturated Monomers in the Presence of Inorganic Ultrafine Particles

I. Capek and V. Juraničová

Polymer Institute, Slovak Academy of Sciences, SK-842 36 Bratislava

Abstract: The emulsion polymerization of unsaturated monomers initiated by ammonium peroxodisulfate in the presence of inorganic ultrafine particles (IUP) was studied. The rate of emulsion polymerization of butyl acrylate increased with increasing amount of SiO₂ but decreased in the case of TiO₂. In the emulsion polymerization of methyl methacrylate the rate of polymerization decreased with increasing amount of both SiO₂ and TiO_2. In the emulsion polymerization of ethyl acrylate it increased with emulsifier concentration in the presence of both SiO₂ and TiO₂ particles. In the butyl acrylate system the rate of polymerization increased with emulsifier concentration in the presence of SiO₂ but decreased in the presence of TiO₂.The addition of IUP was found to increase agglomeration of particles which was much more pronounced with TiO₂. The rate of polymerization parallels the number of particles. Polymer formed in the presence of SiO₂ or TiO₂ in the butyl acrylate system was found to be insoluble in solvents for poly(butyl acrylate) while that formed in the methyl methacrylate system was insoluble in solvents for poly(methyl methacrylate).

Full paper in Portable Document Format: 493a155.pdf

Chemical Papers 49 (3) 155–161 (1995)