Preparation and characterization of carbon black-polystyrene composite particles by high-speed homogenization assisted suspension polymerization

Composite particles of carbon black-polystyrene with controllable size were successfully prepared using high-speed homogenization-assisted suspension polymerization. The carbon black particles were modified by oleic acid to make it more hydrophobic and more compatible with polymers before the encapsulation process. The effects of homogenization speed, homogenization time, agitation speed, pigment concentration, and stabilizer concentration on the properties of complex spheres were investigated in detail. The results of orthogonal experiments proved that the stabilizer concentration plays the most important role in controlling the size of complex particles. The particles were also characterized by FTIR and SEM. SEM photographs proved that the complex particles had good spherical forms with smooth surfaces. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012