Nancy A. Listigovers

Effects of various design parameters on the properties of interfacial/free-radical microencapsulated particles

Dyed or pigmented synthetic microcapsules are employed in a variety of printing, electronic imaging, and non-silver imaging processes. At the Xerox Research Centre of Canada, we have studied the preparation of synthetic microcapsules, with high pigment content. Various options, useful for the microencapsulation process will be discussed with focus on a new hybrid interfacial polycondensation/free radical polymerization process to produce uniform thin polymeric shells surrounding discrete pigmented core particles. The factors which control the formation and the particle size ofcapsules in this process will be outlined. The influence ofpigment loading on the bulk density and flow properties of the microcapsules will be discussed. The effect ofvarious reaction parameters on the molecular and rheological properties ofthe core and shell polymer will be presented.