High-impact polystyrene mechanical properties control

Initially compounding was mainly performed between amorphous polymers and elastomers, resulting in a polymer matrix with small domains of elastomers. This morphology can increase the mechanical properties considerably. In later developments special attention was paid to better and controlled phase separation, to control the domain size, and to increase the impact strength, as for instance in high-impact polystyrene (HIPS) and in ABS-latex mixtures. The search for better compatibility between the phases leads also to fully compatible combinations of polymers. Although over 300 pairs of miscible polymers are known (2), only a few systems have actually been commercialized, like PS/PPE... 

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