Exploring the Limits of Emulsion Polymerization of Styrene for the Synthesis of Polymer Nanoparticles

Summary. Suspensions of polymer nanoparticles in water (latices) with average particle diameters between 20 and 80 nm were synthesized by batch emulsion polymerization of styrene using sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) as surfactant and potassium persulphate (KPS) as initiator. The influence of surfactant concentration, initiator concentration, monomer concentration, and reaction temperature on the final average particle diameters and size distributions of the latices were studied. The number of particles generated was proportional to the 0.56 power of the emulsifier concentration and to the 0.37 power of the initiator concentration in the whole concentration range which was observed. Furthermore, the final number of particles was dependant on the reaction temperature to the 2.06 power. With these correlations the average particle number as well as the average particle size could be estimated, and the results were in good agreement (±6%) with the experimental values. A reduction of the monomer/water ratio from 1:5 to 1:20 yielded smaller particle diameters, while leaving the particle number unaffected. The lower particle size limits for monomer ratios of 1:10 and 1:15 were estimated with diameters of about 18 and 16 nm.     

Exploring the Limits of Emulsion Polymerization of Styrene for the Synthesis of Polymer Nanoparticles

Suspensions of polymer nanoparticles in water (latices) with average particle diameters between 20 and 80 nm were synthesized by batch emulsion polymerization of styrene using sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) as surfactant and potassium persulphate (KPS) as initiator. The influence of surfactant concentration, initiator concentration, monomer concentration, and reaction temperature on the final average particle diameters and size distributions of the latices were studied. The number of particles generated was proportional to the 0.56 power of the emulsifier concentration and to the 0.37 power of the initiator concentration in the whole concentration range which was observed. Furthermore, the final number of particles was dependant on the reaction temperature to the 2.06 power. With these correlations the average particle number as well as the average particle size could be estimated, and the results were in good agreement (±6%) with the experimental values. A reduction of the monomer/water ratio from 1:5 to 1:20 yielded smaller particle diameters, while leaving the particle number unaffected. The lower particle size limits for monomer ratios of 1:10 and 1:15 were estimated with diameters of about 18 and 16 nm.     

Phase separation behavior of whey protein isolate particle dispersions in the presence of xanthan

In this study, phase separation of colloidal whey protein isolate (WPI) particle dispersions was studied using a rod-like polysaccharide xanthan. Effects of different xanthan concentration, particle volume fraction, and temperature were analyzed by visual observations, turbidity measurements, and particle mobility tracking method. Particle mobility was determined using a diffusing wave spectroscopy (DWS) set up. Xanthan concentration was kept low in order not to increase the viscosity of dispersions, so that the phase separation could be observed easily. Visual observations showed that there was a minimum concentration of xanthan to induce phase separation at a constant particle volume fraction, and xanthan concentration was found to have an important effect on the degree of phase separation. The temperature was also found to have an effect on depletion mechanism. Phase separation was mainly a result of different sizes of WPI particles, and xanthan induced the depletion interaction between WPI particles, as supported by the data obtained from DWS. The results of this study explained both the mechanism and the stability range of particle dispersions in the presence of xanthan, which is important for the design of stable systems, including colloidal particles.     

Effects of guest microparticles on the swelling behavior of polyacrylamide gels

We report the effects of guest particles on the swelling properties of bulk polyacrylamide gels. The guest particles were the spheres of poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) gel with submicrometer diameter, which were synthesized by an emulsion‐polymerized reaction in water. Polyacrylamide gels were prepared by a free radical polymerization reaction, immobilizing the gel microparticles with different concentrations at gelation. The macroscopic swelling ratio of this hybrid gel in a cylindrical shape was measured as functions of temperature and acetone concentration. The presence of guest particles was found to strongly affect the swelling behavior in the bulk gels when the concentration of incorporated particles exceeded a threshold. The experimental results indicated that the macroscopic volume in response to the temperature change should be determined by the guest particles above the threshold. On the other hand, the hybrid gel could not evidently shrink by adding acetone when the concentration of guest particles exceeded the threshold. To make clear the distribution of guest particles in the bulk networks, the fractured surfaces of dried gels were imaged by tapping mode atomic force microscopy. The guest particles were found to aggregate in the bulk homogeneous networks to form microdomains with densely connected structure, which became larger with increasing particle concentration. The roles of bulk networks as well as guest particles on the swelling behavior of hybrid gels were qualitatively discussed on the basis of the incorporated structure of guest particles, depending on the concentration of guest particles. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 1696–1704, 2005     

Surface chemistry of aerosolized nanoparticles:thermal oxidation of silicon

The kinetics of reaction between silicon nanoparticles and molecular oxygen were studied by tandem differential mobility analysis. Aerosolized silicon nanoparticles were extracted from a low-pressure silane plasma into an atmospheric pressure aerosol flow tube reactor. Particles were initially passed through a differential mobility analyzer that was set to transmit only those particles having mobility diameters of approximately 10 nm. The monodisperse particle streams were mixed with oxygen/nitrogen mixtures of different oxygen volume fractions and allowed to react over a broad temperature range (600-1100 degrees C) for approximately one second. Particles were size-classified after reaction with a second differential mobility analyzer. The particle mobility diameters increased upon oxidation by up to 1.3 nm, depending on the oxygen volume fraction and the reaction temperature. Oxidation is described by a kinetic model that considers both oxygen diffusion and surface reaction, with diffusion becoming important after formation of a 0.5 nm thick oxide monolayer.     

葡萄糖还原氢氧化铜制备球形氧化亚铜及其粒度控制研究

以Cu(OH)2为前躯体,用葡萄糖还原制备了不同粒径的单分散球形氧化亚铜粉末。利用扫描电镜和smileview软件对Cu2O粉末进行了表征分析,并通过上述分析考察了反应温度和反应物浓度等因素对Cu2O粉末粒径的影响。结果表明,随着反应温度与葡萄糖投加浓度的提高,颗粒粒径减小;而随着氢氧化钠投加浓度的提高,颗粒粒径增大;体系内最终颗粒密度n+∞或颗粒个数n与各影响因素的变化呈直线关系。最后根据晶体成核生长模型初步分析了反应条件对Cu2O颗粒粒径的影响机理。     

Functionalization of latex particle surface by using polymeric inisurfs

In this work the emulsion polymerisation of styrene was carried out in presence of the inisurfs (reactive surfactants). The reaction kinetics was followed by dilatometric and calorimetric measurements. The influence of the inisurf concentration in reaction mixture as well as the reaction temperature on the particle properties were studied. Resulting particles were characterised with FFFF‐MALLS and PCS. Viscosity measurements indicate the formation of particle flocks in the solution at certain inisurf concentration in reaction mixture.     

Volume transition and internal structures of small poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) microgels

Monodispersed poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) nanoparticles, with hydrodynamic radius less than 50 nm at room temperature, have been synthesized in the presence of a large amount of emulsifiers. These microgel particles undergo a swollen–collapsed volume transition in an aqueous solution when the temperature is raised to around 34 °C. The volume transition and structure changes of the microgel particles as a function of temperature are probed using laser light scattering and small angle neutron scattering (SANS) with the objective of determining the small particle internal structure and particle–particle interactions. Apart from random fluctuations in the crosslinker density below the transition temperature, we find that, within the resolution of the experiments, these particles have a uniform radial crosslinker density on either side of the transition temperature. This result is in contrast to previous reports on the heterogeneous structures of larger PNIPAM microgel particles, but in good agreement with recent reports based on computer simulations of smaller microgels. The particle interactions change across the transition temperature. At temperatures below the transition, the interactions are described by a repulsive interaction far larger than that expected for a hard sphere contact potential. Above the volume transition temperature, the potential is best described by a small, attractive interaction. Comparison of the osmotic second virial coefficient from static laser light scattering at low concentrations with similar values determined from SANS at 250‐time greater concentration suggests a strong concentration dependence of the interaction potential. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 849–860, 2005     

单分散二氧化硅球形颗粒的制备与形成机理

在醇水混合溶剂中以氨作催化剂，正硅酸乙酯为硅源，通过溶胶—凝胶工艺制 备单分散二氧化硅球形颗粒，通过透视电镜进行研究各种反应条件如溶剂类型、氨 和水的浓度、水解温度等对二氧化硅的颗粒大小和形貌的影响．结果显示：以甲醇 和乙醇为溶剂可以形成单分散的二氧化硅球形颗粒，以丙醇和丁醇为溶剂，二氧化 硅球形颗粒容易聚集；在其它条件不变的情况下，球形颗粒的粒径随水和硅源的浓 度增加而增大；而且水解温度的升高，生成的颗粒粒径也逐渐增大，仔细研究和讨 论了二氧化硅颗粒在不同反应条件下的形成机理．     

Effect of the Reaction Temperature on the Removal of Diesel Particulate Matter by Ozone Injection

This study seeks to investigate the removal efficiency of particulate matter (PM) from the actual diesel exhaust at various reaction temperatures by using non-thermal plasma (NTP). The effect of the reaction temperature on removal efficiency was reflected by the change in the concentration of particles in different modes and the weight fraction of volatile organics in PM. The Arrhenius equation was used to determine the apparent activation energies E_a of the soot in PM. In addition, the difference in the oxidation reaction at various reaction temperatures and the effect of NTP on the properties of PM were discussed. After considering the decreasing ranges of the total concentration and the weight of the PM, it was determined that 120 °C is the optimal temperature choice for PM removal. The decreasing range of the total concentration reached 57.13% and 66.79% of PM was removed when the PM is measured by weight. NTP has better effect on the removal of smaller particles. The weight fraction of the volatile fraction markedly decreases after the reaction and the apparent activation energy of soot noticeably decreased. The oxidizability of the excited species in NTP was enhanced with the increase of the reaction temperature. However, the excited species concentration declined concurrently, resulting in the occurrence of the optimized range of reaction temperature. The particles were removed by the oxidation that occurred on the surface of the primary particle and the disintegration of the structure of the particles.

     

Preparation of micron-sized aromatic polyamide particles using ultrasonic irradiation

Aromatic polyamide particles were prepared by reacting p-phthalyl chloride and 4,4′-diaminodiphenyl ether in an acetone solution with a high water content, using a precipitation polymerization method with ultrasonic irradiation. The average particle diameter was ca. 712 nm, and the particles were porous and spherical with a narrow size distribution. They showed a high degree of crystallinity and excellent thermal stability. The morphology and the thermal decomposition temperature of the submicron particles were found to depend strongly on the volume of water added to the reaction system. In this polymerization method, the addition of water was essential for the formation of spherical particles. The simultaneous mixing process resulted in the formation of particles with a narrow size distribution, and the use of ultrasonic irradiation was effective in reducing particle size.     

Rheological Modeling of Dispersion System of Nano/Microsized Polymer Particles Considering Swelling Behavior

Rheological behavior of dispersion system containing nano/microsized cross-linked polymer particle was studied considering particle hydration and swelling. Viscosity of the dispersion system depends on swelling kinetics of polymer particles. Under shear flow, dispersion of swollen polymer particles is shear thinning. According to experimental results, kinetics of particle swelling and hydration was described well by second-order kinetic equation. Relational expression between equilibrium particle size and influencing factors of swelling such as salt concentration and temperature was presented. Assume that swollen polymer particles are uniform and have a simple core-shell structure, interacting through a repulsive steric potential. The rheological modeling of such dispersion system at low shear rate was presented using the concept of effective volume fraction, which depends on swelling kinetics and interparticle potential. Cross model was introduced to describe shear-thinning behavior. The viscosity equation allows correlation of experimental data of relative viscosity versus shear rate or hydration time; accounting for effect of temperature and salt concentration on viscosity. Predictions of the model have a good agreement with experimental results.     

由硅溶胶生长单分散颗粒的研究

针对现行单分散二氧化硅颗粒制备方法的粒径预见性差、步骤繁琐、收率低等问题，研究了一种用硅溶胶作为种子，在氨、水和乙醇的混合溶液中通过水解正硅酸乙酯（ＴＥＯＳ）生长出单分散颗粒的简便方法。该方法仅在初始的悬浮液中滴加ＴＥＯＳ即可使种子正常生长，无须补充氨水以修正体系浓度的变化。最终的分散相浓度可达１０％（质量分数）。可选择生长的粒径范围在１微米以内并可精确控制。所得颗粒粒径分布偏差于Ｓｔｏｂｅｒ方法     

微波辐照制备无皂阳离子PMMA胶乳粒子

在微波辐照条件下 ,用偶氮二异丁基脒盐酸盐 (AIBA)引发甲基丙烯酸甲酯的均聚 ,制得窄分散的无皂阳离子胶乳粒子 .讨论了引发剂的浓度、单体的浓度、离子强度等对粒子大小、分散性和乳液稳定性的影响 .对微波辐照和水浴加热进行比较 ,发现微波辐照反应速度快、反应无恒速阶段 ,所得粒子的粒径小 ,粒子数目多 ,这为通过改变反应条件制备适宜的窄分散的胶乳粒子提供了一条途径 .     

Kinetics of dispersion polymerization: Effect of medium composition

The effect of the medium composition (monomer and solvent) on the kinetics of dispersion polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) was studied via reaction calorimetry. It was found that increasing the monomer concentration increased the reaction rate; the exponent of the dependency of the initial reaction rate on the MMA concentration was found to be 0.93. Narrow particle size distributions were achieved at the lower monomer concentrations (0.24–0.81 mol/L) and a minimum size (2.45 μm) was found at an intermediate concentration (0.44 mol/L). The average molecular weight of the PMMA increased and the molecular weight distribution broadened with increasing monomer concentration. During a dispersion polymerization, the MMA concentration was found to decrease linearly with conversion in both phases, whereas the ratio of concentrations in the particles and continuous phase ([M]_p/[M]_c) remained constant (0.47) with partitioning favoring the continuous phase. The average number of free radicals per particle in MMA dispersion polymerization was estimated to be high from the nucleation stage onward (>5000). The increasing rate during the first ～ 40% conversion was primarily caused by the increasing volume of the polymer particle phase. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 3638–3647, 2008     

Distribution kinetics of Ostwald ripening at large volume fraction and with coalescence

Condensation phase transitions from metastable fluids occur by nucleation with accompanying particle growth and eventual Ostwald ripening. During ripening the subcritical particles dissolve spontaneously while larger particles grow and possibly coalesce if their volume fraction is large enough. The classical diffusion-influenced rates are also affected by large particle concentrations and are here described by mass-dependent rates. We represent the kinetics of ripening through growth, dissolution, and biparticle coalescence by a new population dynamics equation for the particle size distribution (PSD). Numerical solutions of the scaled governing equations show that coalescence plays a major role in influencing the PSD when the scaled mass concentration (volume fraction) or number concentration is relatively large. The solution describes the time range from initial conditions to the final narrowing of polydispersity. We show that the time dependence of the average particle mass in the asymptotic period of ripening has a power-law increase dependent on rate expressions for particle growth and coalescence at large values of volume fraction.     

N‐vinylcaprolactam‐based microgels: Synthesis and characterization

Poly(N‐vinylcaprolactam) (PVCL) is well known for its thermoresponsive behavior in aqueous solutions. PVCL combines useful and important properties; it is biocompatible polymer with the phase transition in the region of physiological temperature (32–38 °C). This combination of properties allows consideration of PVCL as a material for design biomedical devices and use in drug delivery systems. In this work, PVCL based temperature‐sensitive crosslinked particles (microgels) were synthesized in a batch reactor to analyze the effect of the crosslinker, initiator, surfactant, temperature, and VCL concentration on polymerization process and final microgels characteristics. The mean particle diameters at different temperatures and the volume phase‐transition temperature of the final product were analyzed. To obtain information about the inner structure of microgel particles, semicontinuous polymerizations were carried out and the evolution of the hydrodynamic average particle diameters at different temperatures of the microgel synthesized was investigated. In the case of microgel particles obtained in a batch reactor the size and the swelling‐de‐swelling behavior as a function of the temperature of the medium can be tuned by modulating the reaction variables. When the microgel particles were synthesized in a semibatch reactor different swelling‐de‐swelling behaviors were observed depending on particles inner structure. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 2510–2524, 2008     

Simulation of Particle Growth in the Dispersion Polymerization of Styrene: The Termination Rate Constant in Particles

A model is proposed for simulating the particle growth in the dispersion polymerization of styrene in ethanol. The model is based on the following assumptions: (i) the termination reaction in an ethanol‐phase and the chain‐transfer reactions in the ethanol‐phase and particles can be neglected, (ii) the mean volume of the radicals captured by particles is approximately equivalent to that of monomeric radicals, and (iii) the termination rate constant in particles is β_gel times that of the ethanol‐phase. The experimental results of the conversion, the particle diameter and the particle number measured at the reaction time of 2 h were used to determine the initial conditions. When the termination rate constant in particles was taken to be about 1/130 of that of the ethanol phase, the calculation results of the conversion and the particle diameter were in good agreement with the experimental data.     

Influence of structure on the impact behaviour of nylon-rubber blends

Blends of nylon-6 and EPDM rubber were prepared by reaction blending to study the influence of rubber concentration, rubber particle size and interfacial adhesion on the impact strength. Rubber particles induce a sharp brittle-tough transition which is independent of the glass transition of the nylon matrix. Increasing the rubber concentration or decreasing the particle diameter shifts the brittle-tough transition temperature for notched Izod impact tests to lower values. A toughening mechanism is proposed in which the interparticle distance, the rubber modulus and the temperature play crucial roles.     

LIFAC烟气脱硫中应用蒸汽相变促进细颗粒物脱除的实验研究

在炉内喷钙尾部增湿活化(LIFAC)脱硫后的低温高湿烟气中添加适量蒸汽建立蒸汽相变所需的过饱和环境,促进水汽在细颗粒物表面凝结,进而由高效除雾器脱除凝结长大的含尘液滴.采用电称低压冲击器(ELPI)实时测定细颗粒物数量浓度及粒径分布,维萨拉温湿度变送器测试烟气温度和湿度.考察了活化水添加量、蒸汽添加量、细颗粒物数量浓度...