Emulsion polymerization, kinetics

Note References 1. and 2. contain extensive bibliographies on emulsion polymerization kinetics and continuous emulsion polymerization respectively. 

Nomura, M., Tobita, H. and Suzuki, K. Emulsion Polymerization Kinetic and Mechanistic Aspects. Vol. 175, pp. 1-128. 

Capek I. Sterically and electrosterically stabilized emulsion polymerization. Kinetics and preparation. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 2002 99 77-162. 

Continuous emulsion polymerization processes are presently employed for large scale production of synthetic rubber latexes. Owing to the recent growth of the market for polymers in latex form, this process is becoming more and more important also in the production of a number of other synthetic latexes, and hence, the necessity of the knowledge of continuous emulsion polymerization kinetics has recently increased. Nevertheless/ the study of continuous emulsion polymerization kinetics hasf to datef received comparatively scant attention in contrast to batch kinetics/ and very little published work is available at present/ especially as to the reactor optimization of continuous emulsion polymerization processes. For the theoretical optimization of continuous emulsion polymerization reactors/ it is desirable to understand the kinetics of emulsion polymerization as deeply and quantitatively as possible. 

Although there have been several references on the theory of emulsion polymerization kinetics, it is surprising that its commercial importance and multiphase kinetics have not generated more interest. Smith and Ewart (46) predicted a constant rate of polymerization per particle, based on initiation in the water phase and three ranges of radical concentration per particle. Van der Hoff (55) confirmed this for concentrations... 

Keywords Emulsion polymerization Kinetics Particle nucleation Particle growth Molecular weight distribution Nonlinear polymers... 

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