MODELING AND SIMULATION OF EMULSION COPOLYMERIZATION OF MONOMERS OF DIFFERENT POLARITIES - RELATIONSHIP POLYMERIZATION PROCESS-MICROSTRUCTURE-PROPERTIES

Accurate kinetic investigations of emulsion copolymerization of monomers of different polarity have allowed to derive reliable mechanisms which appeared to be more complex than usually expected: polymerization in the water phase seems quite general; the solid content ‐ i.e. monomer/water ratio ‐ or, even the pH(when copolymerizing ionogenic monomers) modify the reactivity ratios in emulsion copolymerization; monomer partition is an upmost parameter. However, it is believed that what may be the monomers and the polymerization process, it is possible to model emulsion copolymerization and to develop simulation softwares. These computer simulations then allow to quantitatively compare theoretical behaviour with experimental data and to improve our knowledge of emulsion process. Furthermore, these programs give the sequence distribution of emulsion copolymers and can predict some important properties like the glass transition, which is closely related to copolymer microstructure and hetero‐geneity. Modelling and simulation have been applied to a lot of emulsion copolymerizations and terpolymerizations of various monomers, including some functional monomers. Copyright © 1990 Hüthig & Wepf Verlag