Effect of the monomer ratio and initiating system on the disperse composition of polyacrylonitrile copolymers

Conclusions

The mean size and polydispersity of polymer particles are increased on increasing the MMA/(AN, NaVS) ratio, as a function of the initiating systems used, in the following order: ammonium persulfate—rongalite, persulfate—bisulfite, and persulfate—metabisulfite.

The PAN copolymer suspensions obtained under laboratory and under pilot plant conditions have identical mean particle sizes, but have a different disperse composition of the polymer particles.

There is a slight dependence of the filterability resistance of polymer suspensions on the MMA/(AN, NaVS) ratio and on the initiating system used, which exerts no effect on the technological centrifuging regime.

Of the investigated redox initiating systems, the most appropriae one for the manufacture of a PAN copolymer with an elevated MMA content is the ammonium persulfate—sodium bisulfite system.