Preparation of polymer-microencapsulated calcium carbonate by suspension polymerization

Abstract

Suspension polymerization method was employed to encapsulate calcium carbonate particles with PMMA and PS. FT-IR spectra and scanning electron micrographs indicated that the polymeric wall materials were well formed by the suspension polymerization as the monomer contents in the reactant mixtures increased. The polymerization percentage, determined by thermal combustion method, was 86, 88, 90% and 58, 98, 89% for the PMMA- and PS-encapsulated calcium carbonate particles, respectively, when the ratio of CaCO3 particle to each monomer was changed from 4:1, 2:1 to 1:1.