Styrene Drop Size and Size Distribution in an Aqueous Solution of Poly(vinyl alcohol)

The dispersion of styrene monomer (StM) in an aqueous solution of a poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) stabilizer has been studied experimentally. Parameters affecting the initial StM dispersion, such as stirring time, type and concentration of the suspending agent, and the volume fraction of styrene, have been studied in detail and the results compared with existing theories. The transitional time for a dynamic equilibrium to be established in the dispersions was found to be 150 min. When the molecular weight of the PVA increases, the drop size decreases and the StM drops become more stable toward coalescence. With one of the PVAs (PVA-2), the critical PVA concentration, for a constant drop size, was found to be equal to 0.013%, 0.023%, and 0.043% respectively, when the volume fraction of StM correspondingly equaled 0.05, 0.1, and 0.2.