Facile synthesis of tunable polymer spheres for encapsulation pigment application

Polymer spheres with tunable particle size were synthesized by hydrothermal method derived from sucrose. Afterwards, zircon was coated on their surface to form the zircon encapsulated carbon (C@ZrSiO4) black pigment after calcination. The corresponding relationship between the particle size of polymer spheres and the chromaticity of C@ZrSiO4 pigments was investigated. The results revealed that the chromatic performance of C@ZrSiO4 pigment can be significantly improved by decreasing the colorant size and the relationship between them was approximately linear. The pigment exhibits deep black hue, as L∗ = 41.04, a∗ = 1.01, b∗ = 3.22, with the colorant size of 123 nm. Moreover, it also presents excellent thermal and chemical stability, indicating its potential candidate for ceramic decoration.