SEMICONTINUOUS EMULSION POLYMERIZATION OF VINYL-ACETATE .10. KINETICS OF HOMOPOLYMERIZATION, COPOLYMERIZATION, AND INITIATOR DECOMPOSITION IN THE PRESENCE OF SULFOSUCCINATE-TYPE SURFACTANTS

In the vinyl acetate emulsion homopolymerization and copolymerization with dibutyl maleate. in the presence of a surfactant (i.e. disodium salt of the sulfosuccinic acid monoester with nonylphenol ethoxylate having 25 moles ethylene oxide), the polymerization and persulphate decomposition rate increase with the surfactant concentration. The initiator decomposition rate decreases with the increase of the nonpolar monomer concentration, because of the selective interaction surfactant-monomer-polymer. The dibutyl maleate low reactivity reduces the copolymer formation rate, as compared to the homopolymer one. The average particle diameter decreases with the increase of the emulsifier and dibutylmaleate concentrations in the polymerization system.