Encapsulation of TiO2 particles with polystyrene and polymethyl acrylic acid and the pigmentary performances

TiO2 particles were directly encapsulated with polystyrene and polymethyl acrylic acid by a surfactant-free polymerization method. TiO2 particles were uniformly encapsulated with polystyrene by Van der Waals force and effectively encapsulated with polymethyl acrylic acid by chemical bonding. Encapsulation of TiO2 particles with polystyrene and polymethyl acrylic acid significantly enhanced the organic dispersibility and dispersion stability of TiO2 particles in toluene because the surface property of TiO2 particles was changed from hydrophilicity to organophilicity after polymer encapsulation. The brightness and whiteness of the polymer-encapsulated TiO2 particles were similar to that of the naked TiO2.