High strength microcapsules

A method of making microcapsules comprising a high strength wall material and an encapsulated hydrophobic core material said method comprising (a) forming a dispersion of an oil phase composition comprising a hydrophobic core material and one or more polymerizable ethylenically unsaturated monomers, the core monomer, that are wholly or partially soluble in the hydrophobic core material in a water or water-based solution, the continuous phase, said continuous phase, also referred to as the water phase composition, comprising water and at least one or more ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable monomers, the water phase monomer, all or a portion of which are poor to moderately hydrophilic, (b) subjecting the dispersion to one or more conditions that initiate or effectuate the polymerization of the water phase monomer and the core monomer, (c) maintaining the dispersion under such conditions so as to continue polymerization of the monomers until such time as the full capsule walls are formed and, optionally, thereafter (d) isolating the formed microcapsules from the continuous phase.