Abstract
The encapsulation of a fine inorganic powder for its surface modification was carried out by heterogeneous polymerization of methyl methacrylate in water. The powder used was calcium carbonate and the initiator was potassium per suit ate. The surfactant, sodium dodecyl sulfate, was adsorbed onto the powder prior to the polymerization. The polymerizations were conducted with various amounts of adsorbate and at constant concentrations of the powder, monomer and initiator, under a nitrogen atmosphere in an agitated tank. Time-conversion curves obtained varied remarkably with the amount of adsorbed surfactant. A simulation of the rate of polymerization was attempted by application of kinetic models previously applied to soapless emulsion polymerization in the absence of powder.
