Versatility of Miniemulsion Polymerization

In general, conventional emulsion polymerization is faster in comparison with the miniemulsion polymerization because more latex particles (reaction loci) are nucleated and the rate of polymerization is linearly proportional to the number of latex particles per unit volume of water. Nevertherless, the rate of polymerization per particle is larger for miniemulsion polymerization, as evidenced by the higher concentrations of free radicals and monomer in the latex particles. 

Miniemulsion polymerization is a technique that, in principle, allows any water-insoluble monomer to undergo polymer reactions (not limited to the conventional free radical polymerization) inside the homogenized monomer droplets dispersed in the continuous aqueous phase. Thus, each miniemulsion droplet can be regarded as an ideal submicron scale reactor that is not controlled by the monomer mass transfer process for the synthesis of a variety of 

butyl methacrylate AA, acrylic acid AIBN, 2,2 -azobisisobutyronitrile BPO, benzoyl peroxide. 

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