| Abstract: | On the basis of the copolymerization data for the emulsion and microemulsion polymerizations of ethyl acrylate and methyl methacrylate, the monomer concentrations at the copolymerization loci were calculated, with the assumption that the sum of their concentrations at the polymerization loci was equal to unity. The equivalency of the locus and feed concentrations, as for styrene, was invalid because of the partial water solubility of both the monomers. Consequently, the locus concentration rather than the initial feed concentration was used to recalculate the monomer reactivity at the actual site of polymerization, and this was called the true reactivity ratio. The apparent reactivity ratios for emulsion and bulk polymerizations were different, whereas those for microemulsion and bulk polymerizations were similar. This difference was attributed to the mode of polymerization in the emulsions and microemulsions, leading to different copolymer compositions for similar initial feed concentrations. This was verified experimentally from the thermal properties and particle size distribution measurements. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 86: 2802–2810, 2002 |
