Abstract: | Attapulgite needle encapsulated with double‐layer polymer shell (ATP@DP) were prepared by the soapless seeded emulsion polymerization of the second monomer styrene in the dispersion of the attapulgite needle encapsulated with poly(methyl methacrylate) (ATP@PMMA), which was also conducted by the soapless seeded emulsion polymerization of the first monomer methyl methacrylate with the cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) modified attapulgite needle (org‐ATP) as seeds. The different morphologies of ATP, ATP@PMMA particles, and ATP@DP particles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, and the encapsulation mechanism was also discussed. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008 |