Stability and Synthesis of Dispersion Polymerization of Acrylamide in Ethanol/Water Media

Dispersion polymerization of acrylamide (AM) has been carried out in ethanol/water (90 v% ethanol) media with Polyvinylpyrrolidone(PVP) as a stabilizer, several surfactants as co-stabilizers, Sodium hydrogen sulfite (NaHSO3) and ammonium persulfate ((NH4)(2)S2O8) as a redox initiator(I). The influences of initiators, monomer (AM), stabilizer and co-stabilizer concentration, the ratio and types of nonionic and anionic surfactants, pH on reaction stability and coalescence stability have been investigated. The results showed that as the initiator concentration increased, reaction stability declined, but the coalescence stability of emulsion increased. As the monomer mass percent lower than 20%, mass percent of PVP stabilizer between 6.15% and 8.12%, the high reaction stability reached. The surfactant composite consisted of nonionic and anionic surfactants had a better ability to stabilize the emulsion than any surfactant used alone. When m (OP-10): m (SDS) was 2:3, the mass percent of the emulsion is more than 3%, and the best reaction stability and coalescence stability were obtained. The suitable pH was 6.5.