Biphasic Seeded Emulsion Polymerization in a Tubular Flow Reactor
2020
Horn, Alexander G. | Johnston, Thomas C. | Guironnet, Damien
A novel procedure for the production of polymer latex in a flow tubular reactor capable of achieving high solids content latex (>30 wt %) is reported herein. The novelty of this approach consists of using a biphasic solution—aqueous phase containing polymer seed and a pure monomer organic phase—without pre-emulsification and feeding this solution slowly in a heated tubular reactor (slug flow). The polymerization was conducted over multiple stages to allow the addition of precise quantities of surfactant. The surfactant loading needed for stabilization—without causing secondary nucleation—was determined as a function of the latex particles’ sizes through a series of batch experiments. Using this multistage polymerization strategy, poly(methyl methacrylate) latexes with a solids content of 35 wt % (131 nm) were successfully produced with no noticeable fouling of the reactor.
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