Emulsifier for microemulsion polymerization

 By introducing an hydroxyl group and a lipophilic branch into the middle of lipophilic head of emulsifier 12-oxy-9-octadecenoic acid, a new emulsifier was synthesized and applied in microemulsion polymerization. When the emulsifier content in the microemulsion was kept to about 12%, the highest monomer content in microemulsion could achieve 35% for BA, 20% for St and MMA. The microemulsion with high monomer content remained clear after polymerization, and the average diameters of polymer particles were 38.9 nm for St microemulsion, 47.4 nm for BA, and 50.7 nm for MMA. Received: 18 November 1997 Accepted: 16 January 1998