Abstract
A general mathematical model for emulsion copolymerization processes in batch reactor is presented. The model predicts the time‐history of monomer conversion, average particle size, copolymer composition and number of particles. The model was tested and validated with experimental data of four different copolymerization systems: S/MMA (styrene/methyl methacrylate), S/BA (styrene/butyl acrylate), MMA/BA (methyl methacrylate/butyl acrylate) and MMA/VA (methyl methacrylate/vinyl acetate). The influence of several process variables, such as initiator concentration, emulsifier concentration, monomer‐to‐water ratio, and composition has been examined. Model predictions presented satisfactory agreement with the experimental data. Despite the model simplicity and the reduced number of adjustable parameters, the model accounts for the basic features of emulsion polymerization processes and can be useful for practical applications.
Acknowledgments
The authors express their gratitude to Prof. W. Harmon Ray (University of Wisconsin), for the use of the laboratory facilities where the experimental data were obtained by O. Araujo. The authors are also grateful to CNPq, FAPESP, CAPES, and Rhodia for their support of this work, and to Prof. Frank H. Quina for revising the manuscript.