Abstract
Emulsion terpolymerization of styrene (S), butylacrylate (BuA) and sodium acrylamido undecanoate (AUNa), a surface active functional monomer have been carried out using a batch process in the presence of sodium 4‐4′‐azobiscyanopentanoate as initiator. Varying the AUNa concentration, stable particles bearing only carboxylic charges have been produced with diameters ranging from 200 to 500 nm at solids content as high as 40%. However a low AUNa yield at the particle surface has been found (30–35%), which could be explained by very unfavorable reactivity ratios of AUNa with S and BuA. Most of the AUNa seems to be wasted in the water phase (unpolymerized and forming hydrosoluble chains). Furthermore, a concentration of AUNa higher than 10^−2^ mol L^−1^ results in the latex destabilization, presumably caused by the formation of a large amount of polyelectrolytes. Kinetic studies of the AUNa consumption show that the AUNa is mainly fixed at the particle surface between 90 and 100% conversion, which indicates that the AUNa is mainly polymerized in the water phase and not at the particle surface. An attempt has been made to increase the surface charge density by polymerizing a shell of AUNa/S/BuA on a seed latex. It turned out to be unsuccessful (low surface yield, formation of new particles).