Experimental investigation of vinyl chloride drop behavior during suspension polymerization

Abstract

The effects of some polymerization conditions on poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) particles produced by the suspension polymerization process were studied on a laboratory scale. The different stages of vinyl chloride suspension polymerization were investigated experimentally by using an on-line sample withdrawal technique during reaction. It was found that the method of addition of initiator has a great effect on the PVC particle uniformity as well as the size distribution. Furthermore, when the initiator was predispersed in the continuous phase, some latex particles were formed. The effect of the type of stabilizer was also studied with two different types of PVA [partially hydrolyzed poly(vinyl acetate)]. It was found that by changing the stabilizer, the particle size, the porosity, and the morphology could change. When H80 (PVA with a degree of hydrolysis of 80% and a molecular weight of 259,000) stabilizer was used, the rigidity of the PVC particles was weak. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 65: 127–134, 1997