Emulsion polymerization of butyl acrylate induced by sodium lauryl sulfate/hydroxymethane sulfinate

Hydroxymethane sulfinate (sodium formaldehyde sulfoxylate, SFS) along with sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) was used to induce the aqueous polymerization of n‐butyl acrylate (n‐BA). The reaction rate, molecular weights and latex stability with those two compounds were found to be promising. However, the polymerization involved a significantly limited conversion and broad dispersity in molecular weights and particle sizes. The polymerization behavior, depending on factors such as the concentrations of SFS, SLS and n‐BA was different from that of traditional emulsion polymerizations. The rate dependence on the reaction temperature was described well by the Arrhenius equation, and the overall activation energy of polymerization thus obtained was 43 kJ/mol, which is close to that of redox‐induced polymerizations.