A Critical Investigation on the Occurrence of Microwave Effects in Emulsion Polymerizations

The existence of special microwave effects in the emulsion polymerization of styrene and methyl methacrylate with two different initiators is investigated. All the experiments are conducted in either Pyrex or silicon carbide reaction vessels employing a dedicated single-mode microwave reactor and are monitored with a dual temperature-measurement system consisting of an external infrared sensor and an internal fi ber optical probe. The goal of this study is to study the infl uence of the electromagnetic fi eld on both the decomposition rate of the radical initiators and on the emulsion polymerization itself. For both types of transformation, no direct infl uence of the electromagnetic fi eld can be observed, therefore ruling out the occurrence of any type of specifi c or nonthermal microwave effects in these reactions.