Maximum Achievable Particle Size in Emulsion Polymerization: Modeling of Large Particle Sizes

Title
Maximum Achievable Particle Size in Emulsion Polymerization: Modeling of Large Particle Sizes
Publication Date
2002
Author(s)
Prescott, SW
Fellows, Christopher
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8976-8651
Email: cfellows@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:cfellows
Gilbert, RG
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co KGaA
Place of publication
Germany
DOI
10.1002/1521-3919(20020201)11:2<163::AID-MATS163>3.0.CO;2-6
UNE publication id
une:11719
Abstract
A simplified model for particle formation in emulsion polymerization (comprising aqueous-phase propagation to degrees of polymerization which may enter a pre-existing particle and/or form new particles by homogeneous or micellar nucleation, coupled with the aqueous-phase and intra-particle kinetics of oligomeric radicals) is formulated to provide a model suitable for the simulation of systems containing large-sized particles. The model is particularly useful to explore conditions for growth of large particles while avoiding secondary particle formation. Applied to the Interval II emulsion polymerization of styrene with persulfate initiator at 50°C, it is found that there is an effective maximum particle size that can be achieved if the formation of new particles is to be avoided. The parameter space of initiator concentration, particle number concentration and particle radius is mapped to show a "catastrophe" surface at the onset of new nucleation. Advanced visualization techniques are used to interpret the large number of simulations in the series, showing a maximum achievable particle diameter of around 5 μm.
Link
Citation
Macromolecular Theory and Simulations, 11(2), p. 163-170
ISSN
1521-3919
1022-1344
Start page
163
End page
170

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