Physical vinyl chloride monomer process

PVC is insoluble in its own monomer thus, vinyl chloride polymerization is a heterogeneous process that involves several physical transitions during the polymerization. As a result. 

Polymers contain various elements, metallic and nonmetallic. Some elements are a constituent part of the monomers, such as nitrogen in acrylonitrile or chlorine in poly(vinyl chloride), while other elements occur as impurities or are part of some additives (e.g., zinc stearate). Their concentrations range from a (tg per kg level to several percent. Analysis of the element content is especially important for manufacturing process control. Elements can be determined after chemical or physical destruction of polymer, or directly by nondestructive methods. 

Emulsion polymerization requires free-radical polymerizable monomers which form the structure of the polymer. The major monomers used in emulsion polymerization include butadiene, styrene, acrylonitrile, acrylate ester and methacrylate ester monomers, vinyl acetate, acrylic acid and methacrylic acid, and vinyl chloride. All these monomers have a different stmcture and, chemical and physical properties which can be considerable influence on the course of emulsion polymerization. The first classification of emulsion polymerization process is done with respect to the nature of monomers studied up to that time. This classification is based on data for the different solubilities of monomers in water and for the different initial rates of polymerization caused by the monomer solubilities in water. According to this classification, monomers are divided into three groups. The first group includes monomers which have good solubility in water such as acrylonitrile (solubility in water 8%). The second group includes monomers having 1-3 % solubility in water (methyl methacrylate and other acrylates). The third group includes monomers practically insoluble in water (butadiene, isoprene, styrene, vinyl chloride, etc.) [12]. 

Use of seed polymers introduces a new degree of flexibility into the kind of product that may be produced. Within wide limitations, the seed polymer can be a latex based on any monomer—not only one based on vinyl chloride. For example, the seed may be a hexyl acrylate-based polymer or copolymer that may confer internal, permanent plasticization to the vinyl chloride polymer ultimately associated with it. Furthermore, as in many of these processes, the monomer added to the seed may consist of a mixture of several monomers to yield a large variety of copolymers that have significantly different properties from copolymers prepared without the use of a seed (co)polymer. Whether the products of such procedures are graft copolymers, intertwined chains within the latex particle, mixtures of latex particles of different chemical composition, or combinations of these probably varies with each system. Investigation of the fine structure of such latex systems is difficult. Therefore the technique itself is widely used. The physical properties of the system are related to the operations involved in the preparation rather than with the overall composition and conformation of the polymer chains. 

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