Fiber polystyrene, polyester

Fig. 2. Ultrafine fibers are produced by spinning bicomponent or biconstituent polymer mixtures, highly stretching such products to ultrafine deniers, and extracting or otherwise removing the undesked matrix carrier to release the desked ultrafine fibers (30). For example, spinning polyester islands in a matrix of polystyrene and then, after stretching, dissolving the polystyrene to leave the polyester fibers cospinning polyester with polyamides, then stretching,...

Benzene, toluene, and xylene are made mosdy from catalytic reforming of naphthas with units similar to those already discussed. As a gross mixture, these aromatics are the backbone of gasoline blending for high octane numbers. However, there are many chemicals derived from these same aromatics thus many aromatic petrochemicals have their beginning by selective extraction from naphtha or gas—oil reformate. Benzene and cyclohexane are responsible for products such as nylon and polyester fibers, polystyrene, epoxy resins (qv), phenolic resins (qv), and polyurethanes (see Fibers Styrene plastics Urethane POLYiffiRs). 

Hexamethylphosphoramide (HMPT), 185 HFBPA-based poly(arylene ether)s, 362 HFCs. See Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) High-impact polystyrene (HIPS), 219 High-melting polymers, 33 High-melting-point fiber-forming polyesters, 19... 

Finally, a possible method for estimation of IFSS in lignocellulosic fiber composites could be based on the evaluation of the critical length 4 at the condition of maximized mechanical properties [55,56]. According to Nair et al. [56], as the fiber length increases, there is a chance for better orientation that may lead to an improvement in mechanical properties of the composites. Based on this assumption, critical lengths of 6 mm for sisal fibers in polyethylene [55] and 10 mm for sisal fibers in polystyrene composites were reported [56]. Even though the authors have not attempted to calculate the IFSS, these reported critical length values are comparable to those obtained for sisal fibers in polyester matrix [51, 57]. As earlier mentioned in this chapter, with the value of the IFSS could then be calculated by means of Equation (9.6). 

ETHYLENE We discussed ethylene production in an earlier boxed essay (Section 5 1) where it was pointed out that the output of the U S petrochemi cal industry exceeds 5 x 10 ° Ib/year Approximately 90% of this material is used for the preparation of four compounds (polyethylene ethylene oxide vinyl chloride and styrene) with polymerization to poly ethylene accounting for half the total Both vinyl chloride and styrene are polymerized to give poly(vinyl chloride) and polystyrene respectively (see Table 6 5) Ethylene oxide is a starting material for the preparation of ethylene glycol for use as an an tifreeze in automobile radiators and in the produc tion of polyester fibers (see the boxed essay Condensation Polymers Polyamides and Polyesters in Chapter 20)... 

Applications of radiation grafting in the coating industry for improving adhesion and other properties has been an active field. For instance, grafting of styrene onto polyester fibers was found to improve the interfa-cial adhesion between grafted chopped polyester fibers and polystyrene used as a matrix [139]. 

About 8,000 metric tons of peroxides were consumed in 1972. This consumption was strongly stimulated by the rapid growth in reinforced plastics (Ref 23). The largest volume product is benzoyl peroxide which is used in polystyrene and polyester markets for such items as toys, automobiles, furniture, marine, transportation and mil requirements. Also, methyl ethyl ketone peroxide is used in large volumes to cure (as a catalyst) styrene-unsatur-ated polyester adhesive resins used in mil ammo adhesive applications, as well as in glass fiber reinforced plastic products such as boats, shower stalls, tub components, automobile bodies, sports equipment, etc. The monoperesters are growing slowly because of some substitution of the peroxydicarbonates and azo compds (Refs 8,9 23)... 

In order to determine the sources of contamination, some water samples, including wastewaters and effluents from different industries were also sampled. Along the Cinca River and in the industrial area of Monzon, industrial effluents from two different industries were selected the first one produced EPS (Expandable polystyrene) treated with flame retardants and ABS (Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene), and the second one produced PVC (Polyvinyl chloride). As regards the Vero River, three industries were sampled the first one, a textile industry which produced polyester fibers treated with flame retardants, the second one produced epoxy... 

Petroleum refineries produce a stream of valuable aromatic compounds called the BTX, or benzene-toluene-xylenes (Ruthven 1984). The Cg compounds can be easily separated from the Ce and C compounds by distillation, and consist of ethyl benzene, o-xylene, m-xylene, and / -xylene. Ethyl benzene is the starting material for styrene, which is used to make polystyrene / -xylene is oxidized to make terephthalic acid, and then condensed with ethylene glycol to make polyester for fibers and films. The buyers of / -xylene are the manufacturers of terephthalic acid, such as BP-Amoco, who in turn sell to the fiber manufacturers such as DuPont and Dow. These are big and sophisticated companies that have strong research and engineering capabilities, and are used to have multiple suppliers. The eventual consumers of adsorbents are the public who consider polyester as one of the choices in fabric and garments, in competition with other synthetic and natural fibers. Their purchases are also dependent on personal income and prosperity. In times of recession, it is always possible for a consumer to downgrade to cheaper fibers and to wear old clothes for a longer period of time before new purchases. 

Tn the last decades many attempts have been made to obtain attractive - materials by intimate mixing of two polymers with opposite or complementary properties. For example, the impact resistance of brittle polystyrene is increased by mixing with a rubber the wettability of polyacrylonitrile fiber is increased by mixing with hydrophilic saponified cellulose acetate, and the inconvenient flat-spotting of nylon-reinforced tires is suppressed by mixing stiffer polyester fibrils into the nylon fibers. In practically all cases these products acquire their final shape via the liquid state. Thus, the viscous properties of these liquid mixtures are important. 

The growth of these materials is reflected in the number of polymers which are being glass reinforced. These include polypropylene, polystyrene, styrene acrylonitrile, nylon, polyethylene, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, modified polyphenylene oxide, polycarbonate, acetal, polysulfone, polyurethane, poly (vinyl chloride), and polyester. In addition, the reinforced thermoplastics available now include long-fiber compounds, short-fiber compounds, super concentrates for economy, a combination of long and short fibers, and blends of polymer and fibrous glass. 

PBBs were also widely used as flame retardant additives in polymer formulations, e.g., synthetic fibers, molded plastics and plastic housings also in the manufacture of polycarbonates, polyesters, polyolefins and polystyrenes. Nixed ABS polymers (acrylonitrile -butadiene - styrene), plastics, coatings and lacquers also contained added PBBs to enhance fire-retardancy. 

Polymers are very large molecules made up of repeating units. A majority of the compounds produced by the chemical industry are ultimately used to prepare polymers. These human-made or synthetic polymers are the plastics (polyethylene, polystyrene), the adhesives (epoxy glue), the paints (acrylics), and the fibers (polyester, nylon) that we encounter many times each day. It is difficult to picture our lives without these materials. In addition to these synthetic polymers, natural polymers such as wood, rubber, cotton, and wool are all around us. And, of course, life itself depends on polymers such as carbohydrates, proteins, and DNA. This chapter discusses synthetic polymers. Naturally occurring polymers are presented in Chapters 25, 26, and 27. 

Polymers are long-chain molecules composed of repeated smaller units called monomers. The term polymer spans an enormous spectrum of substances that find widespread use in virtually all aspects of modern society. Polymers range from high-volume commodity types (polyethylene, polystyrene, etc. ), to synthetic fibers (polyesters, polyamides, etc.), to engineering resins (polycarbonates, polyacetals, etc.), and beyond. 

Our study is outlined in five parts, (a) Two polystyrene plastics were reinforced at different fiber contents alternately with polyester, asbestos, and glass fibers, (b) The mechanical/physical properties of the resultant monofiber-reinforced plastics were determined and compared, (c) Combinations of fibers were then used to fabricate multifiber-rein-forced structures to exploit simultaneously the particular advantages of the different reinforcements, (d) The effect of each fabrication stage on the molecular weight and molecular weight distribution of the matrix plastics was established and (e) a linear mathematical model was formulated to predict the properties of multifiber structures and forecasted values compared with corresponding values experimentally obtained from (c) above. 

Figure I. Fracture surface polystyrene reinforced with V4-incn polyester fiber...

Table VII. Comparison of the Reinforcing Effects of Polyester, Asbestos, and Glass Fiber in Polystyrene ...

Comparison with Asbestos and Glass. Tables III, IV, V, and VI catalog the properties obtained when the two polystyrenes were reinforced with asbestos and glass. Table VII compares the reinforcing effects of the several fibers studied at 30 wt %. The data show that particular fibers improve particular properties. The tensile modulus and tensile strength are most improved by glass the heat deflection is most improved by asbestos, and the impact strength is most improved by polyester. 

Unsaturated polyesters (UPs) crosslinked with styrene are often used as a matrix of fiber reinforced plastics. Several reports treated the degradation of the crosslinked UPs with high temperature treatment in water (1,2), acetic acid (5), alcohols including glycols (4,5), and amines (6), often in the presence of catalysts. In these literatures, recovery of polymeric materials from the crosslinked UPs was not a main objective. However, in case we can hydrolyze polyester chains selectively, linear polystyrene derivatives can be obtained as recycled materials. 

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