emulsion polymerization In polymer chemistry, emulsion polymerization is a type of radical polymerization that usually starts with an emulsion incorporating water, monomers, and surfactants. The most common type of emulsion polymerization is an oil-in-water emulsion, in ...

, starve-fed refers to a method of

monomer A monomer ( ; ''mono-'', "one" + '' -mer'', "part") is a molecule that can react together with other monomer molecules to form a larger polymer chain or two- or three-dimensional network in a process called polymerization. Classification Chemis ...

addition where the monomer is introduced gradually into the reaction vessel at a rate that allows the majority of monomer to be consumed by the reaction before more is added. The purpose of this method is generally to control the distribution of different monomers into a

copolymer In polymer chemistry, a copolymer is a polymer derived from more than one species of monomer. The polymerization of monomers into copolymers is called copolymerization. Copolymers obtained from the copolymerization of two monomer species are som ...

. Many monomers have different reaction rates and so, if all the monomers are added to the system at the same time, tend to react in blocks. This blockiness in the polymer leads to significantly different properties in the final polymer from one with a more statistically random distribution of monomers. This method is utilized in synthesizing core-shell latex particles by emulsion polymerization, in order to carefully prepare the final structure.

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Chemical processes {{chem-process-stub