Reactive surfactants in heterophase polymerization. Part XXI—kinetics of styrene dispersion polymerization stabilized with poly(ethylene oxide) macromonomers

The kinetics of styrene dispersion polymerization, using poly(ethylene oxide) macromonomers as precursors for the stabilization, has been studied. The conversions of both styrene and macromonomers have been determined. The effects of various parameters such as the polarity of the medium, the nature and the amount of macromonomer and the concentrations of the reactants have been studied. A strong gel effect was observed, the main polymerization process taking place inside the particles where the average number of radicals per particle may be more than a thousand. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.