Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene thermal oxidative stability

When polymerization proceeds in the presence of modifiers, the mechanochemical process enhances cross-linking and, correspondingly, improves the physicochemical properties of final plastics. For example, mechanochemical treatment of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic in the presence of tolnene diisocyanate improves thermal oxidative stability of the plastic (Chetverikov et al. 2002). 

The stabilization of poly(vinyl chloride) against light has been reviewed by Wirth and Andreas. Detailed mechanistic studies have indicated the importance of peroxides in the process of photo-oxidation. It was suggested that protection could be successfully achieved by exclusion of radiation of A < 380 nm. E.s.r. examination of irradiated samples demonstrated the intervention of peroxides in the mechanisms with the ultimate formation of carbonyl groups which caused chain scission by Norrish cleavage. Photo-oxidation of samples of poly(vinyl chloride) modified by incorporation of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, methyl methacrylate-butadiene-styrene, and methyl methacrylate-acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymers has been investigated. Discolouration was accelerated by the presence of the modifiers. Thermal pre-treatment accelerated photo-induced decomposition. Mechanical properties were also examined, and scanning electron microscopy showed surface defects due to decomposition of the modifier. ... 

Several studies of the spatial resolution of oxidation processes in HAS stabilized polymer appeared since the pioneering paper [25] and deal with events in PP [26 - 28] or commercial poly(acrylonitrile-co-butadiene-co-styrene) (ABS) copolymer plaques with thickness from 2 to 6 mm [27, 29], We preferred for our experiments plaques of 6 mm thickness providing more detailed information on the spatial distribution of nitroxides in both thermal and photooxidative stress situations [28],... 

---