Miscellaneous Styrene Copolymers

Table 5.28. Graft copolymer formation in PEST/PPE/Styrene copolymer blends by miscellaneous reactions...

Miscellaneous Copolymers. VP has been employed as a termonomer with various acryUc monomer—monomer combinations, especially to afford resins usehil as hair fixatives. Because of major differences in reactivity, VP can be copolymerized with alpha-olefins, but the products are actually PVP grafted with olefin or olefin oligomers (151,152). Likewise styrene can be polymerized in the presence of PVP and the resulting dispersion is unusually stable, suggesting that this added resistance to separation is caused by some grafting of styrene onto PVP (153). The Hterature contains innumerable references to other copolymers but at present (ca 1997), those reviewed in this article are the only ones known to have commercial significance. 

ACRN is used to make acrylic fibers, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), and styrene-acrylonitrile (SAN). Worldwide acrylic fiber accounts for over half of total demand while ABS and SAN consume about 30% of output. Smaller applications include nitrile rubber copolymers (4%), adiponitrile (ADN) and acrylamide. Acrylic fibers are used in carpets and clothing while ABS and SAN resins are used in pipes and fittings, automobiles, furniture, and packaging276. In the United States the ACRN uses are distributed differently 38% is used in ADN, 22% in ABS and SAN, 17% in acrylic fibers, 11% in acrylamide, 3% in nitrile elastomers, and 9% in miscellaneous, which includes polymers, polyols, barrier resins and carbon fibers277. 

NOTE Ibtals for plastics are for those products listed and exclude some small-volume plastics. Synthetic rubber data include Canada. Dry-weight basis unless otherwise specified Density 0.940 and below " Data include Canada from 2001 Density above 0.940 Data include Canada from 1995 Data include Canada from 2000 Data include Canada from 1994 Includes styrene-butadiene copolymers and othm styrene-based polymers Unmodified Includes butyl styrene-butadiene rubber latex, nitrile latex, polyisoprene, and miscellaneous others. SOURCES American Plastics Council, International Institute of Synthetic Rubber Producers. 

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