Effects of inorganic electrolytes upon emulsion polymerisation reactions. I. Effects upon kinetics of styrene emulsion homopolymerisation and of styrene‐acrylic acid emulsion copolymerisation

Results are given for the effects of two added inorganic electrolytes, potassium chloride and calcium chloride, upon the kinetics of the emulsion homopolymerisation of styrene and of the emulsion copolymerisation of styrene with a minor amount of acrylic acid, using sodium dodecylbenzenesulphonate as surfactant and potassium persulphate as initiator. Three reaction systems were investigated. Two were for the emulsion homopolymerisation of styrene, one reaction system using a relatively high level of surfactant and the other a relatively low level of surfactant. The third reaction system was for the emulsion copolymerisation of styrene and acrylic acid using an intermediate level of surfactant. The results show that the effects of added electrolytes can be varied and complex: they depend upon several factors such as the nature and amount of the added electrolyte, the level of surfactant, and the presence or absence of the acidic comonomer.