Effect of carboxylc acid monomer type on particle nucleation and growth in emulsifier-free emulsion copolymerization of styrene-carboxylic acid monomer

Abstract

Carboxylated polystyrene latexes were prepared by emulsifier-free emulsion copolymerization of styrene with various carboxylic acid monomers (AA, MAA and IA). DLS analysis and SEM observations were used to investigate the effect of various carboxylic acid monomers on the particle formation and growth processes. It was found that number of particles per unit volume of aqueous phase (N p) increases with increasing hydrophobicity of carboxylic acid monomers in order of IA < AA