The characterization of porous styrene glycidyl methacrylate copolymer beads prepared by suspension polymerization

Large, cross-linked polymer beads have been produced by suspension polymeri zation. The surface area of the beads can be increased by making the struct ure porous by the addition of an inert solvent to the droplet phase. Kineti c measurements have been performed with systematic changes in monomer ratio (styrene-glycidyl methacrylate), with an increase in glycidyl methacrylate concentration leading to an increase in reaction rate. The effects of chan ging the initiator type have also been studied; the use of azobisisobutyron itrile, as opposed to benzoyl peroxide, results in higher reaction rates an d higher yields. The effects of these variations on both the emulsion and b ead droplet size distributions have also been studied. An increase in styre ne concentration has no significant effect on the average size of the emuls ion droplets, but increases the final bead size. The average pore size and specific surface areas of the polymer beads (determined from BET isotherms) have also been investigated. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights res erved.