Preparation of PMMA/SiO2 composite particles via emulsion polymerization

This paper investigates a few methods of modifying silica (SiO2) particles to obtain poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/SiO2 composite particles through emulsion polymerization. The chemical structure and the percentage of grafting of the obtained particles were characterized and determined by means of FTIR and TGA, respectively. Furthermore, the dispersion of silica and composite particles in latex were measured by TEM. The results show that the surface of the modified silica particles is grafted by PMMA molecules and that the percentage of grafting of PMMA/SiO2 composite particles is about 37%. Meanwhile, grafting PMMA onto the surface of the silica particles can alleviate aggregation of the silica particles.