Dispersion Polymerization of Acrylamide in t-Butyl Alcohol/Water Media

We have performed dispersion polymerization of acrylamide in tert-butyl alcohol/water mixture-using hydroxypropyl cellulose and ammonium persulfate as the stabilizer and the initiator, respectively - to study the effects that the concentration of monomer, initiator, and stabilizer, the tert-butyl alcohol/water ratios as polymerization media, and the reaction temperature have on, among other things, the polymerization kinetics, particle sizes, and molecular weights. The polymerization rate increased upon increasing the concentration of the monomer, initiator, and stabilizer, the water content in the tert-butyl alcohol/water media, and the polymerization temperature. The average particle size of the lattices increased upon increasing the concentration of initiator, the polymerization temperature, and the water content in the tert-butyl alcohol/water media, but it decreased upon increasing the concentration of monomer and stabilizer. The viscosity-average molecular weight increased upon increasing the concentration of monomer and stabilizer and the water content in the tert-butyl alcohol/water media, but it decreased upon increasing both the concentration of initiator and the polymerization temperature.