Styrene-butadiene mechanical properties

Carbon natural. Styrene-butadiene, Mechanical properties. 

On processing butadiene-styrene thermoplastic rubbers, the major effect on mechanical property deterioration is a result of the agglomeration of styrene particles [58]. For ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) resins, mechanical properties deteriorate on processing due to double bond oxidation. At more severe conditions, a decrease of the matrix resin [poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile)] molecular weight is a superimposed effect [59]. 

Rubber. The mbber industry consumes finely ground metallic selenium and Selenac (selenium diethyl dithiocarbamate, R. T. Vanderbilt). Both are used with natural mbber and styrene—butadiene mbber (SBR) to increase the rate of vulcanization and improve the aging and mechanical properties of sulfudess and low sulfur stocks. Selenac is also used as an accelerator in butyl mbber and as an activator for other types of accelerators, eg, thiazoles (see Rubber chemicals). Selenium compounds are useflil as antioxidants (qv), uv stabilizers, (qv), bonding agents, carbon black activators, and polymerization additives. Selenac improves the adhesion of polyester fibers to mbber. 

Butadiene copolymers are mainly prepared to yield mbbers (see Styrene-butadiene rubber). Many commercially significant latex paints are based on styrene—butadiene copolymers (see Coatings Paint). In latex paint the weight ratio S B is usually 60 40 with high conversion. Most of the block copolymers prepared by anionic catalysts, eg, butyUithium, are also elastomers. However, some of these block copolymers are thermoplastic mbbers, which behave like cross-linked mbbers at room temperature but show regular thermoplastic flow at elevated temperatures (45,46). Diblock (styrene—butadiene (SB)) and triblock (styrene—butadiene—styrene (SBS)) copolymers are commercially available. Typically, they are blended with PS to achieve a desirable property, eg, improved clarity/flexibiHty (see Polymerblends) (46). These block copolymers represent a class of new and interesting polymeric materials (47,48). Of particular interest are their morphologies (49—52), solution properties (53,54), and mechanical behavior (55,56). 

Frounchi and Burford [37] studied the effect of styrene block copolymer as a compatibilizer in isotactic PP-ABS blends. It was found hat in PP-rich blends a marginal improvement in mechanical properties was obtained. However, in acrylo nitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) rich blends no improvement was obtained. The effects of four different block copolymers, SBS, SIS,... 

Wang and Chen [41] studied the compatibility problems of incompatible NBR-PVC blends. Poly(vinyl-idene chloride-covinyl chloride) is reported to act as an efficient interfacial agent. Blends of PVC, NBR, and the copolymer were prepared by the solution casting technique using THE as a solvent. Improvement in mechanical properties can be achieved in NBR-PVC blend by the addition of different types of rubbers [42]. Different rubbers include NR, styrene butadiene (SBR) and butadiene (BR). Replacement of a few percent of NBR by other rubbers will improve the mechanical properties and at the same time reduce the cost of the blend. 

Currently, more SBR is produced by copolymerizing the two monomers with anionic or coordination catalysts. The formed copolymer has better mechanical properties and a narrower molecular weight distribution. A random copolymer with ordered sequence can also be made in solution using butyllithium, provided that the two monomers are charged slowly. Block copolymers of butadiene and styrene may be produced in solution using coordination or anionic catalysts. Butadiene polymerizes first until it is consumed, then styrene starts to polymerize. SBR produced by coordinaton catalysts has better tensile strength than that produced by free radical initiators. 

FIGURE 2.10 Variation in mechanical properties with styrene content in styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR)-based nanocomposites. 

Improvement in the processing and vulcanized qualities of a range of systems have been reported over the past decades. Modification of natural rubber, due to work in the British Rubber Producers Research Association, yields some of the most striking applications of microgel. A detailed study at the MV Lomonosov Institute of Fine Chemical Technology, in Moscow, on the effect of microgels on mechanical properties of cis-polyisoprene and butadiene-styrene rubbers extensively illustrates the properties of blends from latex combination of microgel and conventional or linear systems.(31)... 

Meincke O, Kaempfer D, Weickmann H, Friedrich C, Vathauer M, Warth H (2004). Mechanical properties and electrical conductivity of carbon-nanotube filled polyamide-6 and its blends with acrylonitrile/butadiene/styrene. Polymer 45 739-748. 

ABS (30% acrylonitrile, 20% butadiene, and 50% styrene) is a tough plastic with outstanding mechanical properties ABS is one of the few plastics that combines both toughness and hardness. So the applications include ballpoint pen shells, fishing boxes, extruded pipes, and space vehicle mechanical parts. There s more than 20 pounds of ABS molded parts in an automobile. 

Similar results were obtained by shear blending of two synthetic elastomers (45). The formation of a block or graft copolymer during the process of mixing butadiene rubber (SKB) and styrene-containing rubber (SKS-30A) was postulated by Slonimskii and Reztsova (49). They claimed that the anomalies observed in the dependences on composition of the mechanical properties of a mixture of two mutually insoluble rubbers after vulcanization may be reduced by increasing the part played by the mechanical mixing (inert atmosphere, reduction of radical acceptors, intensity of mechanical action). 

Several flexible polymers, such as natural rubber (NR) synthetic rubber (SR) polyalkyl acrylates copolymers of acrylonitrile, butadiene, and styrene, (ABS) and polyvinyl alkyl ethers, have been used to improve the impact resistance of PS and PVC. PS and copolymers of ethylene and propylene have been used to increase the ductility of polyphenylene oxide (PPO) and nylon 66, respectively. The mechanical properties of several other engineering plastics have been improved by blending them with thermoplastics. 

A rubber-like copolymer/carbon fibre composite material has also been prepared [170]. Carbon fibres were added directly to o/w highly concentrated emulsions of block copolymers, such as styrene/butadiene triblocks (SBS), in toluene, followed by precipitation in methanol, drying and hot-pressing. The surfactant was found to aid adhesion between the polymer and carbon fibres. The materials obtained had fairly even distributions of carbon fibres, good mechanical properties and conductivities which increased with increasing carbon fibre length. 

A. Arostegui, M. Sarrionandia, J. Aurrekoetxea, and I. Urrutibeas-coa, Effect of dissolution-based recycling on the degradation and the mechanical properties of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer, Polym. Degrad. Stab., 91(ll) 2768-2774, November 2006. 

Testing of the mechanical properties revealed that the nano-powdered styrene/butadiene rubber is effective in toughening PS (6). 

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