PREPARATION OF POLYSTYRENE SUSPENSIONS UNDER THE CONDITIONS OF FORMATION OF BARIUM SALTS OF CARBOXYLIC-ACIDS AT THE INTERFACE

Heterophase polymerization of styrene was studied under the conditions when barium stearate and laurate, surfactants that are insoluble in monomer and aqueous phases, are formed at the interface. The formation of a stable emulsion and intense microemulsification are possible only when the system is exposed to ultrasound. In such an emulsion system, polymer-monomer particles are formed from the monomer microdroplets. It is shown that when a surfactant is formed at the interface, variation in the nature of a counterion makes it possible to control the dispersity of the starting emulsion and to affect the mechanism of formation of particle during polymerization.