Application emulsion polymerization

Uses For dentifrice applications, emulsion polymerization, and pharmaceutical preparations. 

In large-scale industrial applications, emulsion polymerization is carried out in kettles that have adequate means of agitation and are equipped with reflux condensers. If one of the monomers is a gas or a low-boiling liquid, the polymerization is performed in a closed system capable of sustaining the pressure developed as a consequence of the increased temperature. An interesting method to control the temperature is to start with only a part of the batch in the kettle after the reaction has started and the liberated heat of the reaction has caused an increase of the temperature of the kettle content, additional cold monomer emulsion or water is gradually added to keep the temperature at the desired level. 

Other solubilization and partitioning phenomena are important, both within the context of microemulsions and in the absence of added immiscible solvent. In regular micellar solutions, micelles promote the solubility of many compounds otherwise insoluble in water. The amount of chemical component solubilized in a micellar solution will, typically, be much smaller than can be accommodated in microemulsion fonnation, such as when only a few molecules per micelle are solubilized. Such limited solubilization is nevertheless quite useful. The incoriDoration of minor quantities of pyrene and related optical probes into micelles are a key to the use of fluorescence depolarization in quantifying micellar aggregation numbers and micellar microviscosities [48]. Micellar solubilization makes it possible to measure acid-base or electrochemical properties of compounds otherwise insoluble in aqueous solution. Micellar solubilization facilitates micellar catalysis (see section C2.3.10) and emulsion polymerization (see section C2.3.12). On the other hand, there are untoward effects of micellar solubilization in practical applications of surfactants. Wlren one has a multiphase... 

The production of organic polymeric particles in tire size range of 30-300 nm by emulsion polymerization has become an important teclmological application of surfactants and micelles. Emulsion polymerization is very well and extensively reviewed in many monographs and texts [67, 68], but we want to briefly illustrated tire role of micelles in tliis important process. 

Emulsion polymerization also has the advantages of good heat transfer and low viscosity, which follow from the presence of the aqueous phase. The resulting aqueous dispersion of polymer is called a latex. The polymer can be subsequently separated from the aqueous portion of the latex or the latter can be used directly in eventual appUcations. For example, in coatings applications-such as paints, paper coatings, floor pohshes-soft polymer particles coalesce into a continuous film with the evaporation of water after the latex has been applied to the substrate. 

A semi-batch reactor has the same disadvantages as the batch reactor. However, it has the advantages of good temperature control and the capability of minimizing unwanted side reactions by maintaining a low concentration of one of the reactants. Semi-batch reactors are also of value when parallel reactions of different orders occur, where it may be more profitable to use semi-batch rather than batch operations. In many applications semi-batch reactors involve a substantial increase in the volume of reaction mixture during a processing cycle (i.e., emulsion polymerization). 

The performance of secondary alkanesulfonates in applications as emulsifiers in the widespread emulsion polymerization of vinyl monomers can be assessed by their hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) numbers. The HLB numbers can... 

A survey of applications was also done by Czichocki et al. [73], including such applications as inks and paints, paper, photography, plastics, emulsion polymerization, pharmaceuticals, flotation, corrosion inhibitors, lubricants, electroplating, electrophoresis, and catalysts for ethoxylation. 

Alkyl sulfates and alcohol ether sulfates have been established for use in emulsion polymerization. AOS, although it has been used for many detergent applications during the past four decades, does not find any large-scale use as a primary surfactant system in emulsion polymerization. A study by Kreis [92] has shown that AOS surfactants are very well able to produce a small size latex and have excellent foaming characteristics (i.e., foam height and stability) in latex. They should therefore be able to compete with alkyl sulfates and alcohol ether sulfates. 

There are some applications for a-sulfo fatty acid esters in the production and processing of synthetic materials or natural rubber. Emulsifiers are needed for the emulsion polymerization, antistatic agents improve the properties of polymers, and wetting agents are needed as parting components for elastomers. 

TABLE 19 Application Fields of Dialkyl Sulfosuccinates in Emulsion Polymerization... 

Emulsifiers are used in many technical applications. Emulsions of the oil-in-water and the water-in-oil type are produced on a large scale in the cosmetic industry. Other fields of employment are polymerization of monomers in emulsions and emulsification of oily and aqueous solutions in lubricants and cutting oils. In enhanced oil recovery dispersing of crude oil to emulsions or even microemulsions is the decisive step. 

In order to be economically viable, a continuous emulsion polymerization process must be able to produce a latex which satisfies application requirements at high rates without frequent disruptions. Since most latex products are developed in batch equipment, the problems associated with converting to continuous systems can be significant. Making such a change requires an understanding of the differences between batch and continuous reactors and how these differences influence product properties and reactor performance. 

The derivation and development of a mathematical model which is as general as possible and incorporates detailed knowledge from phenomena operative in emulsion polymerization reactors, its testing phase and its application to latex reactor design, simulation, optimization and control are the objectives of this paper and will be described in what follows. 

Figure 10.4 (Plate 8) Polystyrene spheres prepared by emulsion polymerization methods. Because they may be packed together to form columns or beds, these spheres find applications in separations, ion exchange, and as supports for catalysts. (Photographs by John Olive)...

Alcohol sulfates (R — 0S03"Na ) - alcohol reacted with suihir trioxide then neutralized with sodium hydroxide. Applications include shampoo, bar soaps, and other personal care products laundry and dishwashing soap textiles and additives to emulsion polymerization. 

Another application of microparticle technology is the production of polymeric microspheres, which are usually produced by emulsion polymerization techniques. But a variety of polymer colloids can be made by aerosol techniques (Partch et al, 1983 Nakamura et al, 1984 Partch et al, 1985). One advantage of the aerosol route is that larger sizes can be attained... 

Emulsion polymerization is one of the major examples where detergents are applied to create microreactions. For instance, to polymerize styrene (which is insoluble in water), an initiator is added to the aqueous phase. The polymer (polystyrene [PS]) is formed, and the suspension is stabilized by using suitable emulsifiers. The latex thus formed is used in various industrial applications. 

In the conventional emulsion polymerization, a hydrophobic monomer is emulsified in water and polymerization initiated with a water-soluble initiator. Emulson polymerization can also be carried out as an inverse emulsion polymerization [Poehlein, 1986]. Here, an aqueous solution of a hydrophilic monomer is emulsified in a nonpolar organic solvent such as xylene or paraffin and polymerization initiated with an oil-soluble initiator. The two types of emulsion polymerizations are referred to as oil-in-water (o/w) and water-in-oil (w/o) emulsions, respectively. Inverse emulsion polymerization is used in various commerical polymerizations and copolymerizations of acrylamide as well as other water-soluble monomers. The end use of the reverse latices often involves their addition to water at the point of application. The polymer dissolves readily in water, and the aqueous solution is used in applications such as secondary oil recovery and flocculation (clarification of wastewater, metal recovery). 

Of the several types of the polymer-modified mortars and concretes used for various construction applications, latex-modified mortar and concrete are by far the most widely used materials. Latex-modified mortar and concrete are prepared by mixing a latex, either in a dispersed liquid or as a redispersible powder form with fresh cement mortar and concrete mixtures. The polymers are usually added to the mixing water just as other chemical admixtures, at a dosage of 5-20% by weight of cement. Polymer latexes are stable dispersions of very small (0.05-5 pm in diameter) polymer particles in water and are produced by emulsion polymerization. Natural rubber latex and epoxy latex are exceptions in that the former is tapped from rubber trees and the latter is produced by emulsifying an epoxy resin in water by the use of surfactants [87]. 

Solubilization o-f dissolved organic molecules into micelles is important in detergency (2), emulsion polymerization (65). and micellar—enhanced ultra-fiItration (3), Just to name a -few applications. Solubilization also indirectly a-f-fects many other operations because it o-ften a-f-fects monomer—micelle equilibrium, in-fluencing sur-factant adsorption, wetting, etc. when solubi 1 izable, non—sur-factant species are present in solution. 

---