Copolymerization of styrene with acrylamide in an emulsifier‐free aqueous medium

Abstract

Abstract Copolymerization of styrene with acrylamide was carried out in an emulsifier‐free aqueous medium. The resulting latex contained an appreciable amount of acrylamide‐rich copolymer in the serum. The copolymerization course was divided into three stages on the basis of the main reaction locus. At first, acrylamide polymerized in preference to styrene in the aqueous phase. Water‐soluble growing radicals lost hydrophilicity rapidly and nucleated the particles. After particle formation, styrene polymerized exclusively in the particles until styrene droplets disappeared. The decrease in the concentration of residual styrene monomer caused growing radicals to keep the hydrophilicity for a long time, and polymerization of acrylamide was accelerated in the aqueous phase. Polymerizations at higher temperature and lower pH resulted in prolongation of the first stage of the polymerization, that is, preferential polymerization of acrylamide in the aqueous phase. An increase in the acrylamide fraction in monomer feed caused some decreases in the particle size and its uniformity.