Specific turbidity emulsion

Specific turbidity histories are also plotted vs. dimensionless time for a continuous emulsion polymerization run the samples were withdrawn from the second reactor of a continuous train where the first reactor is a small seeding reactor. Part A of Figure 3 shows the particle size behaviour during start up all monomer, water, initiator and soap feedrates were kept constant until the process reached a steady state. In part B, the soap concentration in the seed reactor was increased a decrease in the particle size was expected and it is clearly shown from the specific turbidity measurements. 

Turbidity measurements are simple, fast and reproducible. Specific turbidity can successfully follow the particle size evolution during the course of emulsion polymerization and can be translated into weight average diameters. A combination of an on-line spectrophotometer with an on-line densitometer (to obtain concentration) would provide the potential to estimate Dw on-line, as well. An on-line determination of PSD s, for small particles however, would seem quite difficult due to the high correlation of their parameters. One should bear in mind that the above conclusions have been validated only for poly(vinyl acetate) latexes the analysis is currently being extened to other systems, such as polystyrene and poly(methyl-methacrylate). 

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