Poly styrene applications

The polymer is based on a simple head-to-tail arrangement of monomer units and is amorphous, since the specific position of the benzene ring is somewhat variable and hence inhibits crystallisation. Despite its generally desirable properties, for many applications it is considered too brittle. Because of this, a number of approaches have been made to modify the mechanical properties of poly (styrene). The most successful of these have been (i) copolymerisation and (ii) the addition of rubbery fillers. 

Vaterite is thermodynamically most unstable in the three crystal structures. Vaterite, however, is expected to be used in various purposes, because it has some features such as high specific surface area, high solubility, high dispersion, and small specific gravity compared with the other two crystal systems. Spherical vaterite crystals have already been reported in the presence of divalent cations [33], a surfactant [bis(2-ethylhexyl)sodium sulfate (AOT)] [32], poly(styrene-sulfonate) [34], poly(vinylalcohol) [13], and double-hydrophilic block copolymers [31]. The control of the particle size of spherical vaterite should be important for application as pigments, fillers and dentifrice. 

It was demonstrated that poly(styrene-b/oc -vinylpyrrolidone) beads (0 220 nm) are suitable for preparation of pH nanosensors [12]. Various fluorescein derivatives were embedded and did not leach out of the beads due to functionalization with highly lipophilic octadecyl anchor. The pK., of the indicators inside the nanobeads varied from 5.8 to 7.7 making them suitable for various biotechnological, biological and marine applications. The beads based on a lipophilic l-hydroxypyrene-3,6, 8-trisulfonate (pKa 6.9) were also manufactured. 

Sulfonated poly(arylene ether)s have shown promise for durability in fuel cell systems, while poly-(styrene)- and poly(imide)-based systems serve as model systems for studying structure-relationship properties in PEMs because their questionable oxidative or hydrolytic stability limits their potential application in real fuel cell systems. Sulfonated high performance polymer backbones, such as poly(phe-nylquinoxaline), poly(phthalazinone ether ketone)s, polybenzimidazole, and other aromatic or heteroaromatic systems, have many of the advantages of poly-(imides) and poly(arylene ether sulfone)s and may offer another route to advanced PEMs. These high performance backbones would increase the hydrated Tg of PEMs while not being as hydrolytically sensitive as poly(imides). The synthetic schemes for these more exotic macromolecules are not as well-known, but the interest in novel PEMs will surely spur developments in this area. 

Application of amphiphilic block copolymers for nanoparticle formation has been developed by several research groups. R. Schrock et al. prepared nanoparticles in segregated block copolymers in the sohd state [39] A. Eisenberg et al. used ionomer block copolymers and prepared semiconductor particles (PdS, CdS) [40] M. Moller et al. studied gold colloidals in thin films of block copolymers [41]. M. Antonietti et al. studied noble metal nanoparticle stabilized in block copolymer micelles for the purpose of catalysis [36]. Initial studies were focused on the use of poly(styrene)-folock-poly(4-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P4VP) copolymers prepared by anionic polymerization and its application for noble metal colloid formation and stabilization in solvents such as toluene, THF or cyclohexane (Fig. 6.4) [42]. 

A very original application is the use of insoluble, polymeric Gd(III)-chelates as coating materials e.g., on the polypropylene catheters used for medical purposes (97). To poly(styrene-maleic acid) copolymer (SMA), HEDTA was conjugated and the Gd(III) ions were complexed by the resulting polymer, forming SMA-HEDTA-Gd(III). As a variation, the citric acid-HEDTA-SMA polymer was synthesized and used for chelating the Gd(III)ions, forming SMA-HEDTA-citric acid-Gd(III). The Gd(III) contents were 3.75 and... 

The ability of PolyHIPE materials to absorb liquids has been exploited in experiments on their potential use as carrier materials for the safe transport of hazardous or flammable liquids [128]. A poly(styrene/DVB) sample was able to absorb twenty times its own weight of liquid paraffin, simply by immersing the material in the liquid. However, the problem in this application is the subsequent removal of the liquid from the polymer. This can only be achieved by vacuum distillation, which is very difficult with high boiling liquids. 

Poly(styrene) (PS) belongs to the largest volume thermoplastic resins (1). Unmodified PS is well suited to applications, where its brittleness is acceptable. In contrast, certain engineering plastics have been used in applications, where less brittleness is required. 

Poly(styrene) tear back lids are commonly used in foodservice applications, in particular as covers for hot cups. It is known that the tearability of a poly(styrene) tear back lid can be improved by... 

The supramolecular structure of block co-polymers allows the design of useful materials properties such as polarity leading to potential applications as second-order nonlinear optical materials, as well as piezo-, pyro-, and ferroelectricity. It is possible to prepare polar superlattices by mixing (blending) a 1 1 ratio of a polystyrene)-6-poly(butadiene)-6-poly-(tert-butyl methacrylate) triblock copolymer (SBT) and a poly (styrene)-Apoly (tert-butyl methacrylate) diblock copolymer (st). The result is a polar, lamellar material with a domain spacing of about 60 nm, Figure 14.10. 

Water-insoluble PEC were prepared by mixing oppositely charged polyelectrolytes, e.g. DEAE dextran with CMD [340,341], sodium dextran sulfate, poly(styrene sulfonate) (NaSS) [342], poly(sodium L-glutamate) (PSLG), poly(vinyl alcohol)sulfate [343], or potassium metaphosphate (MPK) [240]. They are useful as membranes or in biomedical applications [343,344]. 

J. Hoogmartens, Liquid chromatography for the quantitative analysis of antibiotics—some applications using poly(styrene-divinyl-benzene), J. Pharm. Biomed. Anal.,70 845 (1992). 

Various patents on the homopolymerization of BD in the presence of styrene are available [581-590]. According to these patents, St is used as a solvent in which BD is selectively polymerized by the application of NdV/DIBAH/EASC. At the end of the polymerization a solution of BR in St is obtained. In subsequent reaction steps the unreacted styrene monomer is either polymerized radically, or acrylonitrile is added prior to radical initiation. During the subsequent radical polymerization styrene or styrene/acrylonitrile, respectively, are polymerized and ris-l,4-BR is grafted and partially crosslinked. In this way BR modified (or impact modified) thermoplast blends are obtained. In these blends BR particles are dispersed either in poly(styrene) (yielding HIPS = high impact poly(styrene) or in styrene-acrylonitrile-copolymers (yielding ABS = acrylonitrile/butadiene/ styrene-terpolymers). In comparison with the classical bulk processes for HIPS and ABS, this new technology allows for considerable cost reductions... 

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