EFFECT OF MONOMER AND WATER SOLUBLE IMPURITIES ON EMULSION POLYMERIZATION SYSTEMS CASE I AND II KINETICS.

This paper presents a study of two systems: Case I, in which oxygen acts as an inhibitor for the system, manifesting itself as an induction time; and Case II in which oxygen acts mainly to consume free radicals in the water phase. It is suggested that the effect of impurities on the polymerization kinetics of a Case I system as opposed to a Case II should be different due to fundamentally different nucleation mechanisms. The nucleation stage in Case I is dominated by desorption of radicals resulting in explosive particle generations in short time intervals, rapid nucleation periods and a high radical concentration in the water phase. Observation from vinyl acetate with different 4-tert butyl catechol levels are summarized.