Semicontinuous microemulsion copolymerization of vinyl acetate and butyl acrylate: high solid content and effect of monomer addition rate

Vinyl acetate and butyl acrylate were copolymerized in microemulsion under monomer-starved conditions by a semicontinuous process using different monomer addition rates (R _a). A mixture of sodium dodecyl sulfate and polyethylene glycol dodecyl ether (Brij®35) were used as surfactants. Potassium persulfate was the initiator. High copolymer content latexes (around 40 wt.%), average particle diameters (D _p)?M _w) between 180,000 and 760,000. D _p and M _w of the copolymers decrease as R _a is decreased. As R _a increases, a shoulder in the molar mass distribution was observed at high values of M _w, which was ascribed to chain transfer to polymer. Homogeneous copolymer compositions were observed throughout the reaction, which cannot be obtained by the usual batch process.