Patent ID: 7378473

Claim:
A process for producing colored spherical polymer particles using microchannels including a first microchannel through which a colored continuous phase is transferred and a second microchannel through which a spheroidizing phase of a fluid medium flows, said colored continuous phase and said spheroidizing phase being in an O/W (oil-in-water) or W/O (water-in-oil) relationship with each other, said colored continuous phase of one or at least two colors being successively discharged from said first microchannel into said spheroidizing phase to form colored spherical polymer particles, which process comprises the steps of: transferring said colored continuous phase comprising an oily or aqueous fluid medium containing a polymerizable resin component and further containing a color dye/pigment insoluble in said medium into said first microchannel; then successively discharging said colored continuous phase into said aqueous or oily spheroidizing phase flowing through said second microchannel either continuously or intermittently; and then polymerizing and curing said polymerizable resin component in said spheroidizing phase while successively spheroidizing said discharged colored continuous phase in said spheroidizing phase.