| Abstract: | The encapsulation of fine inorganic powder was carried out with the soapless emulsion polymerization of methyl methacrylate in water in the presence of the powder, a layer of surfactant being adsorbed. The powder used was titanium dioxide. Surfactants added prior to the polymerization were sodium dodecyl sulfate, dodecyltrimethyl ammonium bromide, and polyoxyethylene sorbitan mono-oleate. The encapsulation state of the powder with polymer was closely related to the amount of surfactant adsorbed on the powder; and an amount of adsorption above a certain value was necessary for uniform encapsulation. Ionic surfactants were more useful than nonionic in the surfactants used, and could be adsorbed utilizing the electrostatic interaction between powder and the ionic end group. The combination of electric charges between the ionic end groups of surfactant and initiator was found to influence the molecular weight of capsulating polymer. |
