Studies of Nascent Polymer Morphology in Inertially Suspended Vinyl Chloride Drops

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Abstract
A spinning drop apparatus was built for work at pressures up to 2 MPa and temperatures of 80°C. It was used to study the polymerization of inertially suspended vinyl chloride drops. The temperature dependence of the liquid vinyl chloride-water interface was measured in the temperature range 20–70°C and found to be linear. From the changes of the shape of polymerizing drops the locus of initiation could be deduced. If initiator is not adsorbed at the monomer-water interface, initiation is homogeneous throughout the volume of the drop. With interfacially adsorbed initiator, interfacial initiation occurs also. The morphogenesis of the precipitating polymer was studied by scanning electron microscopy of the polymer granules resulting from the polymerization of the suspended drops. The formation and aggregation of the primary polymer particles is discussed in terms of the theory of polymer colloids. Colloid stability of the nascent precipitating polymer is shown to be the dominant influence on aggregate formation.

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