Increasing Solid Content in Latexes of Polyacrylamide Nanoparticles Made by Semi-continuous Inverse Heterophase Polymerization

The synthesis of polyacrylamide nanoparticles by semi-continuous inverse heterophase polymerization as a function of feeding rate of monomer aqueous solution is reported here. In this process, a concentrated acrylamide aqueous solution is dosed semi-continuously at various rates over an AOT-toluene solution containing the initiator. Our results indicate that particle size and the viscosimetric molar masses diminish as the dosing rate is slowed down and that smaller particles, as well as lower molar masses, are obtained compared to those produced by batch and semi-continuous microemulsion polymerizations, employing the same concentration of surfactant. Moreover, higher polymer/surfactant ratios are higher compared to those obtained in batch microemulsion polymerization and similar or slightly higher than that in semi-continuous microemulsion polymerization.