Highly spherical polyamide microparticles and synthesis methods related thereto

A method of synthesizing polyamide microparticles comprising:

• dehydrating and shearing a mixture comprising a matrix fluid, an emulsion stabilizer at a concentration of about 0.01 wt % to about 50 wt % based on a weight of the matrix fluid, and a solvent at a concentration of about 13 wt % to about 75 wt % based on the weight of the matrix fluid, wherein the emulsion stabilizer comprises nanoparticles;
• while shearing, adding a cyclic amide monomer at a concentration of about 20 wt % to about 90 wt % based on the weight of the matrix fluid to the mixture to yield an emulsion;
• dehydrating the emulsion to a water content of about 1 wt % or less based on a total weight of the emulsion to yield a dehydrated emulsion;
• adding a deprotonating agent to the dehydrated emulsion at a concentration of about 0.01 wt % to about 1 wt % based on the weight of the matrix fluid;
• and
• contacting the dehydrated emulsion with a polymerization initiator under conditions effective to polymerize the cyclic amide monomer into a plurality of polyamide microparticles, wherein the nanoparticles are associated with an outer surface of the polyamide microparticles, and wherein the polyamide microparticles have a D10 of about 0.5 μm to about 125 μm, a D50 of about 1 μm to about 200 μm, and a D90 of about 70 μm to about 300 μm, wherein D10<D50<D90.

A method of synthesizing polyamide microparticles comprising:

• dehydrating and shearing a mixture comprising a matrix fluid, an emulsion stabilizer at a concentration of about 0.01 wt % to about 50 wt % based on a weight of the matrix fluid, and a solvent at a concentration of about 13 wt % to about 75 wt % based on the weight of the matrix fluid, wherein the emulsion stabilizer comprises oxide nanoparticles;
• while shearing, adding a cyclic amide monomer at a concentration of about 20 wt % to about 90 wt % based on the weight of the matrix fluid to the mixture to yield an emulsion;
• dehydrating the emulsion to a water content of about 1 wt % or less based on a total weight of the emulsion to yield a dehydrated emulsion;
• adding a deprotonating agent to the dehydrated emulsion at a concentration of about 0.01 wt % to about 1 wt % based on the weight of the matrix fluid;
• and
• contacting the dehydrated emulsion with a polymerization initiator under conditions effective to polymerize the cyclic amide monomer into a plurality of polyamide microparticles, wherein the oxide nanoparticles are embedded in an outer surface of the polyamide microparticles, and wherein the polyamide microparticles have a D10 of about 0.5 μm to about 125 μm, a D50 of about 1 μm to about 200 μm, and a D90 of about 70 μm to about 300 μm, wherein D10<D50<D90.