Interparticle Monomer Transport in Miniemulsion             Copolymerization
{'Code': '07020000', 'Directorate': {'Abbreviation': 'ENG', 'LongName': 'Directorate For Engineering'}, 'Division': {'Abbreviation': 'CBET', 'LongName': 'Div Of Chem, Bioeng, Env, & Transp Sys'}}
{'SignBlockName': 'Maria Burka'}
Narrative: The proposed research project is the continuation                    of an experimental as well as theoretical attempt to elucidate                  the fundamental physical relationships in miniemulsion                          copolymerization.                                                                                                                                               Miniemulsion polymerization is done in a heterogenous system                    consisting of oily droplets suspended in a larger aqueous                       phase.  The oily phase contains the monomer and final polymer                   product and is held together by both a surfactant (such as                      sodium dodecyl sulfate) and a cosurfactant (such as hexadecone                  or cetyl alcohol).                                                                                                                                              Miniemulsion polymerization falls between two well known                        heterogeneous polymerization processes: suspension                              polymerization and emulsion polymerization.  In both cases                      there are two phases present, an aqueous solution phase and an                  oily phase in which the polymerization occurs, the difference                   being that in suspension polymerization the initiator is                        soluble in the oily phase while in emulsion polymerization it                   is soluble in the aqueous phase.  The process is considered                     miniemulsion polymerizaton if the monomer droplets are very                     small (0.1 to 10 microns) and both water soluble and oil                        soluble initiators produce similar results.                                                                                                                     In miniemulsion copolymerization, the morphology of the                         droplets can vary from the copolymer composition being uniform                  throughout the cross section of the particle to the core being                  rich in one polymer and the shell rich in other.  This                          particle morphology is determined by the comonomer composition                  and concentration at the site of polymerization as a function                   of the polymerzation time and the reactivity ratios and water                   solubilities of the two monomers.  This work is aimed at                        studying the mechanism and the rate of interparticle monomer                    transport between miniemulsion droplets and its effect on                       particle morphology.  The results could ultimately be used to                   predict the conditions (additive concentration and droplet                      size) under which the transport of one monomer or the other to                  the site of the polymerization becomes limiting and thus                        develop a novel method for regulating the particle morphology                   and therefore the microstructure of the final copolymer.                                                                                                        The PIs have completed research that showed the role and                        effect of the cosurfactant on the particle generation                           mechanism and the comonomer distribution during the                             miniemulsion copolymerization.  During this final phase they                    plan to determine the role and effect of the cosurfactant on                    the transport of monomer to the different phases.
[{'FirstName': 'Cesar', 'LastName': 'Silebi', 'EmailAddress': None, 'StartDate': '10/01/1987', 'EndDate': None, 'RoleCode': 'Co-Principal Investigator'}, {'FirstName': 'Mohamed', 'LastName': 'El-Aasser', 'EmailAddress': 'mse0@lehigh.edu', 'StartDate': '10/01/1987', 'EndDate': None, 'RoleCode': 'Principal Investigator'}]
{'Name': 'Lehigh University', 'CityName': 'Bethlehem', 'ZipCode': '180153005', 'PhoneNumber': '6107583021', 'StreetAddress': 'Alumni Building 27', 'CountryName': 'United States', 'StateName': 'Pennsylvania', 'StateCode': 'PA'}
{'Code': '1403', 'Text': 'Proc Sys, Reac Eng & Mol Therm'}
{'url': 'https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/download?DownloadFileName=1987&All=true', 'xml': '8712777.xml'}