Polyepichlorohydrine stabilized core shell microspheres by dispersion polymerization

Polystyrene microspheres ranging in diameter from 2 to 10 μm were prepared by dispersion polymerization in the presence of polyepichlorohydrine as the steric stabilizer precursor in alcoholic media. To clarify the effects of the solvent mixture composition, initiator concentration and steric stabilizer amount on the microsphere characteristics, including the molar mass parameters of the polymeric material, the microsphere size, and the steric stabilizer surface density, a three-factor full factorial design involving two levels of each of the factors and replicate experimentals was employed.