Preparation of poly(vinyl acetate) latex with ultrasonic and redox initiation

The high water solubility of vinyl acetate (VAc) monomer increases the need for a good initiator system to speed up the polymerization and remove unreacted monomers. Ultrasonic energy can be used to initiate VAc redox emulsion polymerization in the absence of an inert gas and with sodium dodecyl sulfate as a surfactant. Combining ultrasonic energy and a redox initiator at the ambient temperature leads to a higher conversion and higher rate of polymer production in comparison with just using a redox initiator. Ultrasonic energy plays an important role in synthesizing and controlling the polymer structure. The particle size distribution is an important variable in the formulation of latex paint. Ultrasonic energy has an effect on the particle size distribution and average molecular weight of VAc polymer. The particle size increases with an increase in the monomer conversion for ultrasonic polymerization, whereas the particle size stays constant with the monomer conversion for redox polymerization. An ultrasonic polymer has a broader particle size distribution than a redox polymer. The average molecular weight of poly(vinyl acetate) falls with an increase in the sonication time, whereas it increases with time for a redox polymer. Ultrasonic energy also produces a stable, milky white, opaque latex. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 98: 812–817, 2005