Polystyrene blend properties

Fayt, R. Jerome, R. Teyssie, P. Molecular Design of Multicomponent Polymer Systems. XIV. Control of the Mechanical Properties of Polyethylene-Polystyrene Blends by Block Copolymers. J. Polym. Sci., Part B Polym. Phys. 1989, 27, 775. 

Fayt R, Jerome R, Teyssie P (1989) Molecular design of multicomponent polymer systems. XIV Control of the mechanical properties of polyethylene-polystyrene blends by block copolymers. J Poly Sci Part B Poly Phys 27(4) 775-793... 

Polymer Blends. Blending of polymers with each other accounts for approximately 40 percent of the present plastics market, and the practice is growing continually, because it permits the development of improved properties without the cost of inventing new polymers. When polymers are fairly miscible, as in the polyethylenes, and in polyphenylene ether plus polystyrene, blending can be used to produce intermediate properties and balance of properties. Most polymer blends... 

The molecular weight of crystal polystyrene can also play an important role in blend properties. There is a trade-off between impact and clarity, with higher molecular weight giving better impact and lower molecular weight providing better clarity. The converter can select the proper crystal polystyrene to match specific performance requirements. 

Mayo JD, Behai S, Adronov A (2009) Phase separation of polymer-functionalized SWNTs within a PMMA/Polystyrene blends. J Poiym Sci Poiym Chem 47 450-458 Cou JY, Lensch-Falk JL, Hemesath ER, Lauhon LJ (2009) Vanadium oxide nanowire Phase and orientation analyzed by Raman spectroscopy. J Appl Phys 105 034310-1-034310-6 Wang ZL (2004) Functional oxides nanobelts-materials, properties and potential applications in nanosystems and biotechnology. Annu Rev Phys Chem 55 159-196 Bliznyuk VN, Singamaneni S (2009) Polymer carbon nanotube composites. Encyclopedia of nanoscience and nanotechnology, (2012), ASP, Ed. H. S. Nalwa... 

Electret Properties of Poly(phenylene Ether)/Polystyrene Blends. 180... 

The external effects of the environment on polymer blends are chemical in nature, and normally lead to degradation of the polymers. Chain scission, depolymerization and reactions on the side-chain substituents all contribute to overall deterioration of blend properties. These are described for blends containing polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, acrylics and polyolefins mixed with a variety of other polymers. The general feamres of radiation damage and the detrimental effects of processing are reviewed. 

Hence there was a major motivation for blending PPE with other thermoplastic polymers, to take advantage of its high performance properties and yet combine some useful melt processability features. Several blends of PPE have been investigated stemming from the initial success of PPE/polystyrene blends. Table 15.30 lists some of the currently commercial blends of PPE of different types, comparing their key properties. 

Polyolefin-polystyrene blends have long been studied. They are immiscible showing two-phase morphologies. The blends showed poor mechanical properties, especially elongation at break and impact strength, much lower than those predicted based on an additive rule (118). Their fracture surfaces were observed by electron microscope (119,120). As shown in Fig. 2.8, the dispersed phase is easy to be pulled from the matrix and leaves very smooth surface, indicating low interfacial adhesion. 

Polyolefin-polyamide melt blends are striking in not only the lack of miscibility, but also the large interfacial tensions between the two melt phases. Investigations of these phenomena in our laboratories (118,124-126) have made numerous studies of these polymer blend systems and found that their phase morphology are quite unstable and trend to coalesce especially under quiescent or low deformation rate conditions. Similar to polyolefin-polystyrene blends, they also show weak interfacial adhesion (118,124,127) (as shown in Fig. 2.9). The mechanical properties of the... 

Blends of poly(methacrylic acid) or polystyrene with epoxidised linseed oil are prepared in solution by mechanical mixing in dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) or tetrahydrofuran (THF) to improve the performance of the individual components. However, blends of poly(methylacrylic acid) are not able to produce compatible systems, although different compositions (15-55 wt%) of polystyrene blends will form miscible blends. The results show an improvement in properties, including biodegradation of the miscible blends, and the systems are comparable with low density polyethylene. 

A major motivation for blending PPE with other thermoplastic polymers has been to take advantage of PPE s high heat performance and combine with useful melt processability of the other thermoplastic polymer. The average PPE content in commercial PPE alloys is about 45 %. Several PPE blends were investigated prompted by the initial success of PPE/polystyrene blends. Table 19.31 compares the key properties of the various types of commercial PPE blends. 

Since the early discovery of miscibility between the low-cost polystyrene and PPE, several commercial grades of PPE/HIPS have been developed, which offer a wide choice of heat resistance (DTUL), impact strength, and melt processability (Cizek 1969 Fried et al. 1978). This versatility of PPE/HIPS blends led to their unparalleled commercial success, accounting for nearly 50 % of market volume of all engineering polymers commercial blends. PPE/HIPS blends filled the price-performance gap between the styrenic resins (HIPS, ABS) and the engineering resins such as polycarbonate, polyarylate, and polysulfones. The technology of PPE/HIPS blends has already been discussed previously under the styrenic blends section (Sect. 19.3), and the typical blend properties are shown in Tables 19.6 and 19.32. 

Brahimi, B., Ait-Kadi, A, Ajji, A., and Fayt, R. (1991) Rheological properties of copolymer modified polyethylene/ polystyrene blends. J. Rheol., 35 (6), 1069-1091. 

Polyphenylene oxide (PPO) ru A thermoplastic, linear, non-crystalline polyether obtained by the oxidative polycondensation on 2,6-dimethylphenol in the presence of a copper-amine complex catalyst. The resin has a wide useful temperature range, from below —170 to +190°C, with intermittent use to 205° C possible. It has excellent electrical properties, unusual resistance to acids and bases, and is pro-cessable on conventional extrusion and injection-molding equipment. Because of its high coat PPO is also marketed in the form of polystyrene blends (see Noryf ) that are lower-softening (Tg of PS is about 100°C vs 208°C for PPO), and have working properties intermediate between those of the two resins. 

Blends are physical mixtures of pol5uners rather than monomers. Like copolymers, properties and processing characteristics are often very different from those of the component polymers and also vary with the ratio of components. Unlike copolymers, blend properties can be sensitive to processing conditions. Miscible blends mix on a molecular level to produce a single phase and exhibit a single transition temperature that corresponds to the blend composition. The most important commercial miscible blend is polystyrene-polyphenylene... 

Dong, J. Liu, Z. Cao, X. Zhang, C., Elastomers Based on a,CO-Dihydroxy-Polydimethylsiloxane/Polystyrene Blends Morphology and Mechanical Properties. J.Appl. Polym. Sci. 2006,101, 2565-2572. 

Wang, Y Hu, Y Gong, X. Jiang, W. Zhang, P. Chen, Z., Preparation and Properties of Magnetorheological Elastomers Based on Silicone Rubber/ Polystyrene Blend Matrix. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2007,103, 3143-3149. 

Syndiotactic polystyrene (sPS) is a hard, stiff material with high temperature stability and excellent isolator properties. The E-module of ca. lO Mpa is similar to that of polyamide 66, and therefore much higher than in amorphous polystyrene. These properties lead to new, very interesting apphcations, especially Lf sPS is blended with polyamides [6]. 

Brostow Witold, Holjevac Grguric Tamara, Olea-Mejia Oscar, Rek Vesna, and Unn Jaykumar. Polypropylene + polystyrene blends with a compatibilizer. Part 1. Morphology and thermophysical properties. e-Polymers. no. 033 (2008) 1-9. 

Paramesvaranpillai Jyotishknmar, Joseph George, Chellappan V. Resmi, Zahakariah K. Ajesh, and Hameed Nishar. The effect of propylene-graft-maleic anhydride on the morphology and dynamic mechanical properties of polypropylene/polystyrene blends. J. Polym. Res. 22 no. 2 (2015) 2. 

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