Abstract

LOPEZ-SERRANO, F. et al. Microemulsion polymerization: building a model using the experimental conversion and its derivative. Rev. Mex. Ing. Quím [online]. 2008, vol.7, n.1, pp.79-87. ISSN 1665-2738.

A model based on kinetic, thermodynamic and physicochemical concepts, is presented and an integrodifferential approach to find the fundamental events, is used for microemulsion polymerization (MEP). The procedure was applied to experimental conversion data of hexyl methacrylate (C₆MA) and styrene (STY) in MEP. It was found that: (i) nucleation rate is not linear with time, opposed to previous reports, (ii) coagulation rate is negligible, (iii) micelles provide monomer to reacting particles, (iv) a vitreous effect, even in polymers with a Tg lower than the reaction temperature, was found, (v) radical entry to particles is negligible confirming previous reports, (vi) the decreasing reaction rate interval, besides monomer depletion, is caused by a decrease in active reaction sites, and (vii) a three-parameter phenomenological model is presented capable of describing the studied systems.

Keywords : styrene; mechanism; hexyl methacrylate; modeling; microemulsion polymerization.