Kinetic study of the polymerization of acrylamide in inverse microemulsion

The polymerization of acrylamide in inverse microemulsions stabilized by Aerosol OT emulsifier and initiated with azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) or potassium persulfate (K₂S₂O₈) has been investigated. The inverse polyacrylamide latexes formed are clear and highly stable. A dilatometric technique was used to follow the conversion of monomer at T = 45°C. The rate of polymerization is first order with respect to initial monomer concentration in the presence of AIBN, and is 1.5 order with K₂S₂O₈. An inverse relationship between molecular weight and emulsifier concentration is found which suggests participation of the emulsifier in the initiation reaction. This is confirmed by the independence of the molecular weight of polyacrylamide on the concentration of the initiators. High values of the rate of polymerization are obtained combined with high molecular weights (up to 10⁷). An important and novel feature of this microemulsion process is that each final latex particle consists of one single molecule of polyacrylamide in a collapsed state. This suggests kinetics which do not follow the Smith and Ewart theory but are characterized by continuous particle nucleation.