Modeling the Semicontinuous Heterophase Polymerization for Synthesizing Poly(n-butyl methacrylate) Nanoparticles

A simple four‐state model containing five‐parameters, in conjunction with experimental conversion, particle number density and average molar masses, is presented to reproduce the semicontinuous heterophase polymerization of butyl methacrylate. The model adequately describes the experimental evolutions of conversion, particle size, average number of particles, average number of radicals per particle, and molar mass. A coagulation mechanism was detected and its rate constant was evaluated. The entry coefficient and the critical radical concentration in the aqueous phase were approximately constant and the exit rate coefficient decreased with monomer feed rate. Homogeneous nucleation is the dominant mechanism of production of particles, micellar nucleation occurs at the slowest feeding rate examined. A simple four‐state model containing five‐parameters, in conjunction with experimental conversion, particle number density, and average molar masses, is presented to reproduce the kinetics of the semi‐continuous heterophase polymerization of n‐butyl methacrylate. The figure shows the model predictions (particle diameter, Dp*; total particle number, Np*; conversion, x; average number of radicals per particle, n) compared to some experimental data.