Claims
- 1. A process for the preparation of polymer latex particles comprising
- (a) conducting a pre-reaction emulsification which comprises emulsification of the polymerization reagents of monomer, polar comonomer, water, surfactant, chain transfer agent, and initiator, and wherein said emulsification is accomplished at a low temperature of from about 3.degree. to about 35.degree. C.; and
- (b) accomplishing an emulsion polymerization, which comprises heating the emulsified mixture of (a) in a reactor at from about 25.degree. to 125.degree. C. and retaining the contents of the reactor at said temperature of from about 25.degree. to 1250.degree. C., followed by cooling, and wherein said pre-reaction emulsification is accomplished with a mechanical stirrer at a stirring rate of from about 50 to about 600 rpm for about 15 to about 60 minutes.
- 2. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein said polymer particles formed are of a size diameter of from about 0.04 to about 1 micron, and wherein the monomer is selected from the group consisting of styrene, butyl acrylate, butadiene, para-methyl styrene, meta-methyl styrene, alpha-methyl styrene, methylmethacrylate, ethylmethacrylate, propylmethacrylate, isoprene, butylmethacrylate, methylacrylate, ethylacrylate, and propylacrylate.
- 3. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein said polymer particles formed are of a number average molecular weight of from about 1,000 to about 6,000, and a weight average molecular weight of from about 10,000 to about 36,000.
- 4. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein said polymer particles formed possess a glass transition temperature, Tg, of from about 50.degree. C. to about 65.degree. C.
- 5. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the surfactant is a nonionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl alcohol, methalose, methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, propyl cellulose, hydroxy ethyl cellulose, carboxy methyl cellulose, polyoxyethylene cetyl ether, polyoxyethylene lauryl ether, polyoxyethylene octyl ether, polyoxyethylene octylphenyl ether, polyoxyethylene oleyl ether, polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolaurate, polyoxyethylene stearyl ether, polyoxyethylene nonylphenyl ether, and dialkylphenoxy poly(ethyleneoxy) ethanol, and which surfactant assists in enabling the emulsion polymerization of (b).
- 6. A process in accordance with claim 5 wherein the nonionic surfactant concentration is about 0.1 to about 10.0 weight percent of the water in the emulsion of (a).
- 7. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the surfactant is an anionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of sodium dodecyl sulfate, sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate, and sodium dodecylnaphthalene sulfonate.
- 8. A process in accordance with claim 7 wherein the anionic surfactant concentration is about 0.1 to about 10.0 weight percent of the water in the emulsion of (a).
- 9. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the polar comonomer has an acidic or basic polar group and is acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, acrylamide, methacrylamide, a quaternary ammonium halide of dialkyl or trialkyl acrylamides, vinylpyridine, vinylpyrrolidone, or vinyl-N-methylpyridinium chloride.
- 10. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the initiator concentration is about 0.1 to about 2.0 weight percent of the total monomers and polar comonomers in the emulsion of (a).
- 11. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the total chain transfer concentration is about 0.1 to about 6.0 weight percent of the total monomers and polar comonomers in the emulsion of (a).
- 12. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein the contents of the reactor at said temperature of from about 25.degree. to about about 125.degree. C. is accomplished for from about 1 to about 7 hours, followed by cooling.
- 13. A process for the preparation of polymer latex particles comprising
- (a) conducting a pre-reaction emulsification which comprises emulsification of the polymerization reagents of monomer, polar comonomer, water, surfactant, chain transfer agent, and initiator; and
- (b) accomplishing an emulsion polymerization, which comprises heating the emulsified mixture of (a) for an effective time period of from about 1 to about 7 hours, followed by cooling, and wherein said pre-reaction emulsification is accomplished with a mechanical stirrer at a stirring rate of from about 50 to about 600 rpm for about 15 to about 60 minutes.
- 14. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein said pre-reaction is accomplished with a mechanical stirrer at a stirring rate of about 200 revolutions per minute for about 30 minutes, and wherein the temperature of said pre-reaction emulsification is about 11.degree. C.
- 15. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein said pre-reaction is accomplished with a mechanical stirrer at a stirring rate of about 300 revolutions per minute for about 30 minutes, and wherein the temperature of said pre-reaction emulsification is about 30.degree. C., and said polymerization is accomplished at about 70.degree. C.
- 16. A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein said pre-reaction is accomplished with a mechanical stirrer at a stirring rate of about 400 revolutions, wherein the temperature of said pre-reaction emulsification is about 5.degree. C., and said polymerization is accomplished at about 70.degree. C. for from about 10 minutes to about 40 minutes.
Parent Case Info
This is a division of application Ser. No. 605,423, filed Feb. 22, 1996 now U.S. Pat. 5,567,566.
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Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
605423 |
Feb 1996 |
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