High solids-content nanosize polymer latexes made by microemulsion polymerization

Abstract

Polymer nanoparticles were prepared from monomers such as styrene (St), butyl methacrylate (BMA), butyl acrylate (BA), methyl methacrylate (MMA), and methyl acrylate (MA) using a modified microemulsion polymerization process. With this process high polymer: surfactant weight ratios (7 : 1 or greater), relatively concentrated (10–30 wt.-%) latexes and small (10–20 nm) particle diameters were attained. Nucleation mechanisms were investigated through observations of the particle size change during the polymerization.