Efficient preparation and characterization of paraffin-based microcapsules by emulsion polymerization

Microencapsulated phase-change materials (MEPCMs) with paraffin as the core and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and PMMA copolymers as the shell were prepared by emulsion polymerization using redox initiators at low temperatures. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to characterize the chemical composition of MEPCMs. The thermal properties and thermal stabilities of MEPCMs were tested by differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. The morphologies and sizes of the microcapsules were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and particle size distribution analysis. The results indicated that the yield of microcapsules is as high as 96.2%, and the encapsulation efficiency of paraffin is nearly 100% when the paraffin content in MEPCM is 70%. The MEPCMs have good stability: the leakage ratios of MEPCMs can be less than 1% after 50 heating–cooling cycles. Therefore, the microencapsulation of paraffin using redox initiators has good production and application prospects. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47552.