Summary: In emulsion polymerisation all the components of the system have an influence on the nucleation mechanisms and colloidal stability, and therefore on the final particle size distribution (PSD). The impact of the nature of the initiator (charged radicals and electrically neutral radicals) and its interaction with the composition of the surfactant system and the radical flux on dp is studied in this paper. It was demonstrated that the influence of the nature of initiator on dp depends on the composition of the surfactant system. No influence of the nature of the initiator on Np (number of particles per litre) or the rate of reaction could be discerned when even trace amounts of anionic surfactant were present. But for surfactant‐free reactions or when non‐ionic surfactant (TN) was used as sole stabiliser, it was not possible to produce stable latex using electrically neutral radicals (in this case, hydroxyl radicals). Finally, the order of the semi‐continuous addition of ascorbic acid (AscA) and of hydrogen peroxide (HPO) was studied. As expected, a significant influence of the order of addition was observed in terms of the radical flux and reaction kinetics. It was demonstrated that one mole of AscA added to HPO provides more free radicals than are obtained when a mole of HPO is added to AscA.Overall conversion vs. reaction time.magnified imageOverall conversion vs. reaction time.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.