Emulsion Polymerization Of Vinyl Acetate

It is particularly appropriate that this symposium on the emulsion polymeriza tion of vinyl acetate was held in recognition of the industrial importance of poly(vinyl acetate) and vinyl acetate copolymers, and their rather unique properties among emulsion polymers in general. Poly( vinyl acetate) latexes were the first synthetic polymer latexes to be made on a commercial scale: their production using polyvinyl alcohol as emulsifier began in Germany during the mid-1930s and has continued to the present day, growing steadily with the years. Indeed, poly(vinyl acetate) latexes prepared with polyvinyl alcohol are still one of the mainstays of the adhesives industry. With the passing of time, however, vinyl acetate copolymers have been developed: copolymers with maleate esters such as dibutyl maleate, acrylate esters such as ethyl acrylate and butyl acrylate, versatic acid esters, and, more recently, ethylene. These versatile copolymers have found increasing use in more sophisticated adhesives with specialized properties, adhesives for clay coatings on paper, carpet backing, and interior and exterior paints. Thus more than 45 years after the first commercial production of vinyl acetate latexes, their use is still growing, both in actual quantities and different applications. The industrial importance of vinyl acetate latexes makes the mechanism and kinetics of their emulsion polymerization of practical as well as scientific interest.

The versatility of the emulsion copolymerization reaction and the ability to control the properties of the final latices have led to rapid expansion both in the quantity of polyvinylacetate and vinyl acetate-acrylic copolymer latices and in their applications. Vinyl Acetate Emulsion Polymerization and Copolymerization with Acrylic Monomers provides

Emulsion Polymerization and Emulsion Polymers Edited by Peter A. Lovell Manchester Materials Science Centre, UMIST, Manchester, UK and Mohamed S. El-Aasser Emulsion Polymers Institute and Department of Chemical Engineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, USA Emulsion polymerization is a technologically and commercially important reaction used to produce synthetic polymers and latexes for a wide range of applications. It is the basis of a massive global industry that is expanding due to the versatility of the reaction and the greater realization of the ability to control properties of the polymer latexes produced. Emulsion Polymerization and Emulsion Polymers provides an up-to-date treatment of both academic and industrial aspects of the subject in a single self-contained volume. Established knowledge is integrated with latest developments and introductory chapters to give a state-of-the-art summary which is also suitable as a broad based introduction to the field. The individual chapters have been written by specialists from academia and industry and are presented in a way which ensures that the book will be of equal value to experienced researchers and students.

There is a large body of Soviet work on emulsion polymerization, spanning a period of over three decades, that has been published primarily in the Russian language. Most of this has remained untranslated into English and hence un available to most other scientists. The value of this book lies primarily in the fact that it brings together the most important of these Soviet contributions, along with comment and analysis by the authors, who may be considered among the foremost authorities in this field in the Soviet Union. But the hundreds of literature citations go far beyond the borders of the Soviet Union and serve as an excellent bibliography of the world literature on emulsion polymerization up to the time this book was written. The book covers both fundamental and applied aspects. In the former are included discussions of particle formation mechanisms, a comprehensive theory of emulsion polymerization, copolymerization of polar monomers, and particle morphology and its implications with regard to derived film properties. Among the applied aspects are discussions of continuous emulsion polymerization, both tubular reactors and continuous stirred tank cascades, and various aspects con cerning the manufacture of some of the most important monomers, such as styrene, butadiene, vinyl acetate, methyl methacrylate, acrylonitrile, and chloroprene. This book will be an indispensable reference source for scientists who are entering the field as well as those who are experienced and who have wanted a ready access to this large body of literature.