COPOLYMERIZATION OF VINYL-ACETATE WITH REACTIVE SURFACTANTS IN HOMOGENEOUS MEDIA

The possibility of extending the homogeneity domains obtained after mi croemulsion polymerization of vinyl acetate in the presence of polymer izable surfactants was studied. Utilization of the monomaleate of nony l phenol ethoxylated with 25 moles of ethylene oxide as the reactive s urfactant increased the number of homogeneous phases from 18 to 32 for 45 systems studied which contained vinyl acetate, ethanol, water, or 33% weight surfactant solution. After the polymerization of vinyl acet ate, the number of homogeneous systems was from 15 to 27. The molar ex cess volume was minimum over a critical range for an alcohol/water (1 mole/5 moles) mixture. The monomer conversion is also minimum over thi s concentration range. These phenomena were also evidenced in copolyme rization of vinyl acetate with di-2-ethyl hexyl maleate, using n-propa nol as cosurfactant.