| Abstract: | Effects of polymerization temperature, conversions, and nonionic surfactant on the particle properties of suspension poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) resins were investigated. It was shown that polymerization temperature has no significant influences on the mean particle size of PVC resin, and that the cold plasticiser absorption (CPA) of resin decreases linearly with the increase of polymerization temperature. Agglomeration of VCM droplets finishes before 20% conversion, and the mean particle size keeps almost constant at later stages of the polymerization process, but the CPA continues decreasing with the increase of conversion. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) micrographs show that the degree of agglomeration of primary particles increases with polymerization temperature and conversion. Addition of nonionic surfactant to the VCM suspension system, as a secondary suspending agent, has a great influence on the particle properties of PVC resin. The particle size and CPA increase as the concentration of nonionic surfactant increases. The nonionic surfactant with a greater HLB value is more effective in raising the mean particle size, but is less effective in raising the CPA. It is considered that the added nonionic surfactant would be absorbed faster on the VCM/water interface than the poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), which was used as the primary suspending agent. Because the colloid protection ability of the nonionic surfactant is less than that of PVA, droplets become less resistant to coalescence, and the mean particle size of the final PVC resin increases consequently. The increase of porosity is caused by the combined effects of increased coalescence of VCM droplets and the nonionic surfactant's steric effect inside the droplets. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 85: 1544–1552, 2002 |
