Coagulation of polystyrene latex in the presence of a cation-active surfactant and polyelectrolytes

Coagulating effect of cation-active polyelectrolytes, a copolymer of N,N-dimethyl-N,N-diallylammonium chloride and maleic acid, a fraction of the homopolymer of N,N-dimethyl-N,N-diallylammonium chloride, and low-molecular cation-active surfactant (1-dodecylpyridinium bromide) on a diluted polystyrene latex at pH 7 and 3 was studied. The presence of macromolecules with different amounts of cation groups in the copolymer accounts for the appearance of several peaks in the curves describing the dependence of a “minute” optical density of the latex synthesized in the presence of a purified surfactant, sulfuric acid monododecyl ester sodium salt, on the copolymer additive.