Cross-linked homodisperse polymer particles

Abstract

Homodisperse cross-linked copoly(methyl methacrylate) microspheres having a diameter of 1-7 μm were synthesized by applying the graft precipitation method (GPM). It was shown that slow-polymerizing comonomers such as tetraallyloxyethane (TAOE), octadiene (OD), pentaerithritol tetraallyl ether (PETAE), and trivinylcyclohexane (TVCH) are best suited for obtaining quantitative yields of microspheres by an industrially applicable one-step technique. The most promising microsphere samples are largely insoluble in common organic solvents and they show a thermal stability level that is much higher than for previously described pure poly(methyl methacrylate) beads.

Keywords:

• Polymer beads
• cross-linked poly(methyl methacrylate)
• methyl methacrylate copolymer
• grafting
• reactivity ratio