The effect of agitation on the reaction rate of emulsion polymerization of styrene was experimentally studied. The agitation intensity in preparing the emulsion affects the polymerization rate. This is because the amount of soap molecules adsorbed on monomer droplets decrease the number of soap micells which produce polymer particles in the induction reaction region.
Once the emulsion is prepared in a specified condition, the agitation intensity during reaction does not affect the polymerization rate.
The amount of soap adsorbed on monomer droplets was estimated from the reaction rate in the zeroorder region by assuming Smith and Ewart''s theory, and was correlated empirically with the surface area of monomer droplets at the moment of emulsion preparation.