The influences of polymerization temperature, initiator and monomer concentrations, ionic strength of the aqueous phase, as well as ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDM) comonomer, on the kinetics of the emulsifier-free emulsion polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and on the properties of the resulting poly(methy1 methacrylate) (PMMA) lattices were studied. The polymerizations were carr...

Polystyrene-silica core-shell composite particles are prepared by one-step emulsion polymerization with a nonionic initiator VA-086, solely stabilized by silica nanoparticles. The silica nanoparticles are successfully incorporated as the shell, likely due to the fact that the nanoparticles are thermodynamically favorable to adsorb and remain at the liquid-liquid interfaces during the emulsion p...

Using a non-ionic steric stabilizer for the RAFT aqueous emulsion polymerization of methyl methacrylate leads to flocculated nanoparticles when targeting DPs > 100; there is no such constraint employing an anionic block.

Free radical polymerization is one of the most widely employed polymerization techniques. This technique is applied to prepare latexes to be used in paints, high molecular weight poly (methyl methacrylate) for safety glass (Plexiglas), or foamed poly (styrene) to be applied in coffee cups. Some advantages of radical polymerizations, with respect to other techniques, are the relative insensitivi...

RAFT aqueous emulsion polymerization of hydroxybutyl methacrylate using a poly(glycerol monomethacrylate) precursor leads to diblock copolymer spheres, worms or vesicles. A pseudo-phase diagram is constructed and the vesicles are briefly evaluated as Pickering emulsifier.

Emulsion polymerization of (meth)acrylic bio-based monomers is a promising method to obtain waterborne coatings with reduced carbon footprint. However, the high hydrophobicity some can hinder straightforward incorporation such in dispersions. In this work, we explore copolymerization isobornyl methacrylate (IBOMA) 2-octyl acrylate (2-OA) produce latexes >70 % bio-content suitable for coating ap...

Core-shell polymers in the particle size range 200–300 nm having a monodisperse distribution and opal color are prospective materials for coating applications. The emulsion polymerization of the core-shell was done using two monomers with significantly different refractive indices styrene for the hard monomers and butyl acrylate for the soft monomers. The feeding and aging time were varied, wit...

Ultrasonic transmission is a simple, non-destructive method to characterize turbid systems like e.g. emulsions or polymer dispersion. Here we use this technique for in-line monitoring of the miniemulsion polymerization of styrene. Either the ultrasound attenuation or the velocity signal provides a fingerprint characterizing the reaction process. During the reaction process the sound velocity in...