. . "Formulation and Stability Mechanisms of Polymerizable Miniemulsions" . . . . . . . . . . . . . "Polystyrene latexes in a size range of 30\u2212180 nm can be synthesized by polymerization inminiemulsions where the particle size responds to the amount of the surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate(SDS) which was varied between 0.5 and 50 wt % with respect to monomer. Turbidity and surface tensionmeasurements were used to characterize the miniemulsification by ultrasonication and the approach toa steady state of droplet size. Since size equilibrium seems to be established by a rate equation of collision-induced droplet fusion and ultrasound fission, miniemulsions realize the minimal droplet size for thedistinct amount of surfactant; i.e., they are \u201Ccritically stabilized\u201D with respect to collisions (\u03C42 process).Complete stability against Ostwald ripening (\u03C41 process) is obtained by the addition of a hydrophobe,which was varied over a broad structural range. The efficiency of this hydrophobic agent is given mainlyby a very low water solubility. The growth of the critically stabilized miniemulsion droplets is usuallyslower than the polymerization time; therefore in ideal cases, a 1:1 copy of droplets to particles is obtained,and the critically stabilized state is frozen. The critical surface coverage of these particles with SDSmolecules was determined and depends strongly on the particle size: the smaller the particle size, thehigher the required surface coverage with surfactant. The good accessibility of these systems allows toestablish a general relation between the macroscopic surface tension of the latex and the microscopiccoverage of the particles which is expected to hold true for all latexes. Finally, the characteristics ofpolymerization in miniemulsions were compared with those of the corresponding processes in macro-and microemulsions." . . .