Preparation and characterisation of user-friendly PMMA microcapsules for consumer care

A flat membrane combined with a mechanical stirrer has been used to prepare poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) microcapsules containing an oil-based active ingredient. A florescence dye pyrromethene 546 was added in the liquid core in order to measure the shell thickness of microcapsules using confocal laser scanning microscopy under a fluorescence condition. The size distribution of the formed microcapsules was measured by a static light scattering (SLS) technique. The mechanical properties of the microcapsules were studied using a micromanipulation technique based on compression of single microcapsules between two parallel surfaces and finite element modelling (FEM).