A NEW TECHNIQUE FOR PREPARING MONODISPERSE POLYMER PARTICLES .2. PHASE-SEPARATION MECHANISMS

Nylon 6 polymer particles with a narrow-size distribution are made by phase separation of different concentrations of polymer solutions. At concentrations above 0.15 wt %, the diameter of the precipitated particles increases linearly with the increasing of polymer concentration. The experimental results suggest that coagulation plays an important role in particle growth during the propagation stage. A mechanism is proposed for the formation of monodisperse polymer particles during phase separation. The uniformity of the precipitated nylon 6 particles decreases when the cooling process is slowered. The surface morphologies of the nylon 6 particles are controlled by changing the drying conditions. (C) 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.