Batch emulsion polymerization : a chemical engineering approach

In industry latex products are usually produced in (semi-) batch emulsion polymerisation processes. Good chemical engineering is important to guarantee product quality and to minimise the energy consumption as well as the production of waste material. Our results reveal that sufficient emulsification is essential for the control of the polymerisation process. For the emulsifier used in this study, the colloidal stability of the polymer particles is mainly governed by the physico-chemical properties of the reaction mixture. Brownian coagulation appears to be the predominant mechanism