Synthesis of opaque and colored hollow polymer pigments

A parametric study was carried out to investigate the effects of process parameters on the properties of opaque and/or colored polymer pigment. The core was synthesized using methyl methacrylate (MMA), methacrylic acid (MAA), and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, and the shell from styrene. The surfactant/water (S/W) ratio was changed between 0.56 and 1.46, and the best ratio was determined to be 0.97. The increase in the amount of MAA and the pH of the medium increases the diameter of the swollen particles. The hollows could form only when the fraction of MAA in the monomer mixture was above 10%, and pH ≥ 10. The opaque pigment with the largest diameter could be obtained at the S/W ratio of 0.97 and the MAA content of 20%, as 350 nm. It gave an opacity value of 93.8% when mixed with an acrylic resin at 50% by volume. The colored opaque polymer pigments were synthesized by adding copper phthalocyanine into the monomer mixture. The addition of 2% copper phthalocyanine yielded a green-blue color but 3% yielded blue color. The latter yielded a change in the lightness (ΔL*) by a value of −31.49, and a total color difference (ΔE*) of 30.05 compared with that of white opaque polymer pigment. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 57:913–920, 2017. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers