The blending effects of surfactants on the polystyrene emulsion polymerization were studied. The blending of Triton X-100 and SDS affects to the interfacial properties of the styrene monomer and water phases, and finally, the properties of the polystyrene latex particles. As the blending ratio of SDS/Triton X-100 increases, the interfacial tension and CMC of the blended surfactants were decreased and results in a reducing the size of the latex particles. It was found that the interfacial tension was reduced when the surfactant were blended. By increasing the SDS content, the interfacial tension was reduced, and, at a certain condition, the interfacial tension was reached to an extremely low value to form micro-emulsion and the nano-sized latex particles (80~110 nm).

Core-shell polymers of methyl methacrylate-styrene system were prepared by sequential emulsion polymerization in the presence of sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate(SDBS) as an emulsifier using ammonium persulfate(APS) in an initiator and the characteristics of these core-shell polymers were evaluated. Core-shell composite latex has the both properties of core and shell components in a particle, whereas polymer blends or copolymers show a combined physical properties of two homopolymers. This unique behavior of core-shell composite latex can be used in various industrial fields. However, in preparation of core-shell composite latex, several unexpected matters are observed, for examples, particle coagulation, low degree of polymerization, and formation of new particles during shell polymerization. To solve this matters, we study the effects of surfactant concentrations, initiator concentrations, and reaction temperature on the core-shell structure of PMMA-PSt and PSt-PMMA. Particle size and particles distribution were measured by using particle size analyzer, and the morphology of the core-shell composite latex was observed by using transmission electron microscope. Glass temperature was also measured by using differential scanning calorimeter. To identify the core-shell structure, pH of the composite latex solutions was measured.

The core-shell latex particles were prepared by sequential emulsion polymerization of alkyl methacrylate and styrene(ST) by using an water-soluble initiator(APS) after preparing monomer pre-emulsion in the presence of an anionic surfactant(SDBS). In organic/organic core-shell polymerization, the pre-emulsion method, which minimized required quantity of sulfactant, has been used to increase the conversion rate and the stability of core-shell latex particles as well as to reduce the formation of secondary particle that cause problems of soap-free emulsion during shell polymerization. We used several methods to observe the core-shell structure. The core-shell structure was studied by measuring pH change during hydrolysis by NaOH, glass transition temperature(Tg) by differential scanning calorimeter(DSC), morphology of latex by transmission electron microscope(TEM) and change of particle size and distribution by a particle analyzer.