Microemulsions of a vinyl acetate 2-ethylhexyl acrylate monomer mixture

The microemulsion system containing vinyl acetate (VAc), 2-ethylhexyl acryl ate (EHA), n-propanol (PrOH), water, and nonyl phenol ethoxylate with 25 mo l of ethylene oxide (NPEO25) or the maleic monoester of NPEO25 (MEMNPEO25) was studied. It was established that the probability of microemulsion forma tion increases either in the presence of the surfactant or following the in crease of the VAc concentration in the mixture of comonomer. The nonlinear modification of refractive indexes controlled by the organic (o) over aqueo us (w) phase ratio and the changing of pyrene fluorescence spectra, of the viscosity of the system without surfactant, and of the conductivity in syst ems with MEMNPEO25, all demonstrate the formation of nanostructures assigne d to the association of PrOH in water. Depending on composition, three type s of microemulsion were evidenced: w/o, bicontinuous, and o/w. Owing to the higher reactivity of EHA, the copolymers obtained diminish after polymeriz ation the number of homogeneous samples compared to that of homopolymers. T he final conversions depend on the type of initial microemulsions.