Rubber-modified styrenic polymers

Fig. 3. Typical creep behavior for rubber-modified styrene polymers.

KESKKULA, H., Chapter entitled Rubber-modified Styrene Polymers in Polyblends and Composites (Ed. bruins, p. f.). Interscience, New York (1970)... 

Koppi, K. A., Ceraso, J.M., eleven, J. A., and Salamon, B. A., Gloss Modeling of Injection Molded Rubber-Modified Styrenic Polymers, SPE ANTEC Tech. Papers, 48, 390 (2002)... 

F. Ramsteiner, G.E. McKee, and M. Breulmann, Influence of void formation on impact toughness in rubber modified styrenic-polymers, Polymer, 43(22) 5995-6003, 2002. 

Cho K, Lee MS, Park CE (1997) Environmental stress cracking of rubber-modified styrenic polymers in Freon vapour. Polymer 38(18) 4641-4650... 

Flame-retardant polystyrene is used primarily in expanded foam for building insulation. Rubber-modified styrenic polymers are flame retarded for use in a number of applications, such as enclosures for electronics and business equipment. By far the largest volume flame-retardant HIPS application is television enclosures (Figure 29.1) these are made primarily from flame-retardant HIPS [3]. Flame-retardant HIPS has an attractive balance of mechanical properties, processability and cost. Flame-retardant styrenic blends such as HIPS-PPO and PC-ABS also find utility in a number of electrical applications such as printers, computers and monitors. These blends have received increasing attention recently because of their ability to be flame retarded with nonhalogen flame retardants (see Section 7). 

Rubber-modified polystyrenes, such as ABS polymers, are two-phase systems in which the elastomer component is dispersed through the rigid phase. These rubber-modified styrene polymers can be analyzed directly in the latex (or aqueous emulsion) phase. Although aqueous content can approach 99%, the overtone and combination bands of the OH of water fall between 900 and 1000 ... 

This chapter discusses the dynamic mechanical properties of polystyrene, styrene copolymers, rubber-modified polystyrene and rubber-modified styrene copolymers. In polystyrene, the experimental relaxation spectrum and its probable molecular origins are reviewed further the effects on the relaxations caused by polymer structure (e.g. tacticity, molecular weight, substituents and crosslinking) and additives (e.g. plasticizers, antioxidants, UV stabilizers, flame retardants and colorants) are assessed. The main relaxation behaviour of styrene copolymers is presented and some of the effects of random copolymerization on secondary mechanical relaxation processes are illustrated on styrene-co-acrylonitrile and styrene-co-methacrylic acid. Finally, in rubber-modified polystyrene and styrene copolymers, it is shown how dynamic mechanical spectroscopy can help in the characterization of rubber phase morphology through the analysis of its main relaxation loss peak. 

There are a number of flame-retardant styrenic polymers that will be covered in this chapter. These include polystyrene itself, rubber-modified polystyrene [high-impact polystyrene (HIPS)] and rubber-modified styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer [acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS)]. Blends with styrenic... 

Ethanox 376 is a stabilizer that provides heat stability by preventing thermo-oxidative degradation during processing and service life. It provides compatibility with resins and extraction resistance. It can be applied in polyolefins, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polybutene-1 and other polymers such as engineering plastics, styrenes, polyurethanes, saturated and unsaturated elastomers, styrenics, rubber modified styrenics, segmented block copolymers, and PVC. 

Many rubber-modified styrene plastics are fabricated into sheet by extrusion primarily for subsequent thermoforming operations. Much consideration has been given to the problem of achieving good surface quality in extruded sheet (230,231). Excellent surface gloss and sheet uniformity can be obtained with styrene-based polymers. 

Understanding of the mechanisms in rubber modified polymers have benefited from methods used by Michler et al. [493-495] for the in situ deformation of rubber modified amorphous polymers and butadiene-styrene block copolymers. The techniques used were microscopic investigations of deformed samples, including in situ deformation of thin sections by TEM and AFM. Deformation tests in the SEM included investigation of the samples using special tensile devices at different temperatures (from -150°C to 200°C) in an SEM or ESEM. Deformation... 

Rubber-Modified Copolymers. Acrylonitrile—butadiene—styrene polymers have become important commercial products since the mid-1950s. The development and properties of ABS polymers have been discussed in detail (76) (see Acrylonitrile polymers). ABS polymers, like HIPS, are two-phase systems in which the elastomer component is dispersed in the rigid SAN copolymer matrix. The electron photomicrographs in Figure 6 show the difference in morphology of mass vs emulsion ABS polymers. The differences in stmcture of the dispersed phases are primarily a result of differences in production processes, types of mbber used, and variation in mbber concentrations. 

Cortes et al. [975] have used on-line p,SEC-CGC for rapid determination of a great variety of additives in an emulsion ABS-PVC blend, HIPS and a styrene-acrylate-ethylene rubber polymer. These systems are difficult to analyse, because of the high levels of insolubles such as fillers, pigments, or rubber modifiers. The additives were separated from the polymer fraction in a polymer/additive dissolution using p,SEC, and were... 

Transition from liquid behavior to solid behavior has been reported with fine particle suspensions with increased filler content in both Newtonian and non-Newtonian liquids. Industrially important classes are rubber-modified polymer melts (small rubber particles embedded in a polymer melt), e.g. ABS (acrylo-nitrile-butadiene-styrene) or HIPS (high-impact polystyrene) and fiber-reinforced polymers. Another interesting suspension is present in plasticized polyvinylchloride (PVC) at low temperatures, when suspended PVC particles are formed in the melt [96], The transition becomes evident in the following... 

Butadiene is used primarily in the production of synthetic rubbers, including styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), polybutadiene nibber (BR), styrene-butadiene latex (SBL), chloroprene rubber (CR) and nitrile rubber (NR). Important plastics containing butadiene as a monomeric component are shock-resistant polystyrene, a two-phase system consisting of polystyrene and polybutadiene ABS polymers consisting of acrylonitrile, butadiene and styrene and a copolymer of methyl methacrylate, butadiene and styrene (MBS), which is used as a modifier for poly(vinyl chloride). It is also used as an intermediate in the production of chloroprene, adiponitrile and other basic petrochemicals. The worldwide use pattern for butadiene in 1981 was as follows (%) SBR + SBL, 56 BR, 22 CR, 6 NR, 4 ABS, 4 hexamethylenediamine, 4 other, 4. The use pattern for butadiene in the United States in 1995 was (%) SBR, 31 BR, 24 SBL, 13 CR, 4 ABS, 5 NR, 2 adiponitrile, 12 and other, 9 (Anon., 1996b). 

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