AMPHIPHILIC DERIVATIVES OF POLY(ACRYLIC ACID) AS STABILIZER IN EMULSION POLYMERIZATION

Poly(acrylic acid)s of various molecular weights and different degree of hydrophobic modification have been synthesized by a polymer analogo us reaction with tetradecylamine or copolymerization with styrene. Tes ting these amphiphilic polymers as stabilizers for the emulsion polyme rization of styrene reveals that well stabilized latices are obtained within a certain range of molecular weight and hydrophobicity. As an e xample, the addition of 1 wt.-% polymer with respect to the monomer al lows the synthesis of polystyrene latices with a radius of about 100 n m in the absence of ionic initiators or polar comonomers.