Emulsion Polymerization of Styrene:simulation the effect of binary surfactant system on the particle size distribution

A detailed model was developed for emulsion polymerization EP of styrene in batch reactor to predict the evolution of the product particle size distribution PSD. The effects of the concentration and composition of anionic/nonionic surfactant systems on the conversion and PSD was also sudied . the zero - one kinetics was employed for the nucleation rate , with the model comprising a set of rigorously developed population balance equations. the modeling equations included diffusion -contriolled kinetics at high monomer conversion . this incorporates all of the complex competing processes: aqueous phase kinetics for all radical species arising from both initiator and from desorption, radical mole balances inside the particles, particle formation by both micellar and homogeneous numleation mechanisms , and coagulation. the partial differential equaiton describing the particle population population balance equation was discretized using finite volume elements. the binary surfactant systems including sodium dodecyl sulfate SDS as anionic , and piolyether polyol brij35 as non ionic surfactants , at different total concentration and SDS/Brij35 ratios 1/0,1/1,1/3,0/1 were studied.

Keywords:

emulsion polymerization , particle size distribution , population balance equation , mixed - emulsifier system