Control of polymer suspension particle size during heterogeneous polymerization of styrene

Heterogeneous polymerization of styrene induced by water- and oil-soluble initiators in the presence of di-p-tolyl-o-carbalcoxyphenylcarbinol as the water-insoluble stabilizer suspension of particles is studied. It was shown that polymeric suspensions are stable during synthesis and are characterized by a narrow particle size distribution and particle diameter which can vary within the range from 0.08 to 1.2 μm. It was suggested that the disintegration of monomer droplets during polymerization initiation is the main mechanism of particle formation.