Drop mixing in suspension polymerisation

Suspension polymerisation is one of the major processes used to produce polymers. In this process, monomer is suspended as liquid droplets in a continuous water phase by mean of strong agitation and the presence of a suspending agent. As the suspension polymerisation proceeds, the viscosity of a monomer–polymer droplet increases with conversion. Hence, the physical behaviour of the droplet changes during the process. When new dispersible material is added to the existing suspension drops, the new material and existing drops can remain segregated for significant amounts of time. This will affect the properties of polymer products. The aim of this project was to study the behaviour of drop mixing when new material is added to the existing suspension polymerisation. This study concentrated on the effect of the dispersed phase viscosity on the drop mixing, but agitation intensity and surface stabilities were also important. [Continues.]