Synthesis of stable polymer suspensions with a high mass fraction of polymer in the suspension

Abstract

The aqueous dispersion copolymerization of styrene and methyl methacrylate in the presence of a stabilizer, namely, a functional comb-like organosilicon oligomer (OS surfactant), initiated by potassium persulfate was studied. The possibility of obtaining a stable polymer suspension with a narrow particle size distribution with a high polymer content (up to 50%) was demonstrated. The mechanism underlying the high aggregative stability of the dispersed system, related to the phase incompatibility of the resulting copolymer and the OS surfactant, is discussed. The high aggregative stability of the dispersions is a consequence of the formation of a strong interfacial layer composed of high molecular weight copolymer and OS surfactant.