MEASUREMENT OF PARTICLE SIZE DISTRIBUTION OF LATEX PARTICLES IN THE SUBMICRON RANGE USING SIZE EXCLUSION CHROMATOGRAPHY AND TURBIDITY SPECTRA.

Particle number and particle size distribution (PSD) are key parameters in emulsion polymerization processes because not only do they affect polymerization rate and polymer quality, but they also determine application properties of the final latex such as stability, viscosity, film forming, etc. Efforts to manipulate these two important parameters should obviously precede any attempt to control latex reactor performance. But even prior to such efforts, one should be able to determine these two parameters as accurately as possible, thereby the need for techniques which would give an on-line measure of these two factors. Various techniques have been already developed for the determination of PSD's of colloidal dispersions but are time consuming and unsuitable for on-line applications. Light scattering and chromatographic sizing techniques seem to be the most promising for this purpose.