Method for preparing polybutadiene latex

Abstract

A method for preparing a polybutadiene latex comprises providing an emulsion polymerization medium by reacting water, butadiene monomers, a surfactant, a chain transfer agent, an initiator and an electrolyte, preferably at a temperature of about 60.about.80.degree. C., preferably for about 8.about.16 hours, and agglomerating the resulting emulsion polymerization medium, preferably at a temperature of about 5.about.20.degree. C. higher than the polymerization temperature, preferably for about 4.about.12 hours by adding a surfactant and an agglomerating agent to the emulsion polymerization medium in consecutive order. The agglomerating agent is prepared a method comprising a first step of forming agglomerating seeds by batch polymerization of an alkyl acrylate of C.sub.1 .about.C.sub.12, an anionic surfactant and an anionic initiator, a second step of growing the agglomerating agent in semi-batch polymerization by adding an alkyl acrylate of C.sub.1 .about.C.sub.12 and an ionic comonomer to the resulting polymer of the first step, and a third step of copolymerizing the ionic comonomer at the surface of the agglomerating agent to be prepared in a sufficient amount, by adding an alkyl acrylate of C.sub.1 .about.C.sub.12, an ionic comonomer and an anionic initiator to the resulting polymer of the second step.