Styrene impregnation

Clem, R.G. and A.F. Sciamanna. 1975. Styrene impregnated, cobalt-60 irradiated, graphite electrode for anodic stripping analysis. Anal. Chem. 47 276-280. 

Bead Processes. These processes have generally replaced the above techniques. The styrene is polymerised by bead (suspension) polymerisation techniques. The blowing agent, typically 6% of low boiling petroleum ether fraction such as n-pentane, may be incorporated before polymerisation or used to impregnate the bead under heat and pressure in a post-polymerisation operation. 

The macroazoinimer obtained by the end capping reaction of polyazoester with a diizocyanate and hy-droxyethyl methacrylate was used in wood impregnation leading to the one-shot polymerization of styrene thermally [50]. 

Polyaddition reactions based on isocyanate-terminated poly(ethylene glycol)s and subsequent block copolymerization with styrene monomer were utilized for the impregnation of wood [54]. Hazer [55] prepared block copolymers containing poly(ethylene adipate) and po-ly(peroxy carbamate) by an addition of the respective isocyanate-terminated prepolymers to polyazoesters. By both bulk and solution polymerization and subsequent thermal polymerization in the presence of a vinyl monomer, multiblock copolymers could be formed. 

The much more stable MIL-lOO(Cr) lattice can also be impregnated with Pd(acac)2 via incipient wetness impregnation the loaded catalyst is active for the hydrogenation of styrene and the hydrogenation of acetylene and acetylene-ethene mixtures to ethane [58]. MIL-lOl(Cr) has been loaded with Pd using a complex multistep procedure involving an addition of ethylene diamine on the open Cr sites of the framework. The Pd-loaded MIL-lOl(Cr) is an active heterogeneous Heck catalyst for the reaction of acrylic acid with iodobenzene [73]. 

The possibility of using graft polymerization of styrene on to allylated wood to provide covalent bonding between surfaces was also investigated (Ohkoshi, 1991). In this case, a free-radical initiator (BPO) was present in the styrene monomer that was used to impregnate the allylated wood, prior to hot-pressing. Bond strength was determined by... 

Nakagami and Yokota (1983) impregnated wood with a solution containing methacrylic acid, trifluoracetic acid and sulphuric acid, to form a covalent bond with the cell wall polymers. The methacrylic-reacted wood was then impregnated with styrene, or methylmethacrylate, to form cross-links with the reacted cell wall polymers. Improved dimensional stability was obtained, although degradation of the wood was also observed. 

A solution of styrene in methanol to impregnate wood samples, followed by polymerization, was used by Furuno and Goto (1979). Penetration of the monomer into the cell wall was determined by solvent extraction of samples after polymerization. This removed lumen located polymer, whilst leaving the cell wall bound polymer in place. This showed that the concentration of cell wall bound polymer increased in proportion to the monomer content in methanol, up to a maximum of 80% of the monomer in the solvent. No cell wall penetration was observed for treatment with neat monomer. This was also found for bulking of the wood, as determined from external dimensions of the samples. Improvements in ASE were obtained as a result of the presence of cell wall bound polymer. To achieve similar ASE values with lumen located polymer required very high polymer loadings. 

In the lower range of vanadium content, there were little changes of conversion and selectivities between two modified moleclar sieves. However, the conversion and selectivity toward styrene was significatly imprved at higher vanadium content, which is easily obtained by impregnation method. 

PolyHIPE, in granular form, has recently been employed as a support for bicatalyst systems [136]. Styrene/DVB porous polymers were prepared with free vinyl groups (acryloyl, allyl and vinylbenzyl) on the surfaces of the cavities. Impregnation with solutions of quaternary onium monomers, with subsequent polymerisation, resulted in grafting onto the pendant double bonds, to give a surface-quaternised material (Fig. 19). 

Rb+- and Cs+-impregnated X zeolites were found to exhibit the highest activity and selectivity in these transformations. A CsX zeolite treated with boric acid, for example, gave better than 50% overall selectivity in the formation of styrene and ethylbenzene (410°C, 60% conversion).275 Treatment of these catalysts with copper or silver nitrate resulted in further improvements in catalyst performance.276 The promoting role of these metals was suggested to be their involvement in dehydrogenation of methyl alcohol. 

Instead of monomers, polymers in solution can be grafted on Nylon structures. Aqueous solution of poly(acrylic add) is used for impregnation of polyamide fabrics which is subsequently dried during 1 to 5hrs at 80-150° C after which cure is carried out for 15 to 60 min at 150-218° C (99). A copolymer of styrene-maleic anhydride is said to be grafted on polycaprolactam by heating at 230° C at a pressure of 25 kg/cm2 (100). 

Specifically, propylene oxide has reacted directly with maleic and phthalic anhydrides to produce unsaturated polyesters under these milder conditions (15, 16). This would certainly be a major first step toward simplifying the process and lowering the cost. Incidentally, use of propylene oxide in place of propylene glycol would also result in an additional saving of 1 cent per pound in total raw material cost as well (6). After polyesterification, the separate steps of cooling, dilution with styrene, catalysis, impregnation, gelation, and cure are a distinct operational and economic liability. 

In the polymer impregnated gels, some porosity typically remains. Although some copolymers of methyl methacrylate, butadiene and styrene have been used to impregnate silica, the best known system is still silica impregnated with polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)150-153. While this type of hybrid was important at first, it has been surpassed by other methods of hybrid synthesis that are simpler, with fewer steps and shorter times. 

The step of impregnating with vinyl monomers could be greatly simplified and made more uniform if veneer was treated as in the case of Impreg and Compreg. In this case a low volatility monomer, such as tributyl styrene (70) dissolved in a volatile wood swelling solvent such as methyl alcohol should be the... 

Kapui et al. prepared a novel type of polypyrrole films [168]. The film was impregnated by spherical styrene-methacrylic acid block copolymer micelles with a hydrophobic core of 18 nm and a hydrophilic corona of 100 nm. The properties of the micelle-doped polypyrrole films were investigated by cyclic voltammetry and SECM. It was found that the self-assembled block copolymer micelles in polypyrrole behave as polyanions and the charge compensation by cations has been identified during electrochemical switching of the polymer films. 

Polymer mixtures of isobutene and polyolefins are used for the manufacture of lacquers. Polymer mixtures with styrene also have different applications for impregnation compounds, glues etc. 

Addition of Blowing Agents to Styrene Solutions of Polystyrene. If the pentane is added to a suspension polymerization of styrene after the bead identity point has been reached, the formation of blisters is avoided and the diffusion of pentane into the bead is rapid. Thus, the two objections to the pentane-in-monomer process and the post-polymerization impregnation processes are avoided (31, 119). The same system has also been used to introduce normally gaseous blowing agents, such as butane, propane, st/m-dichlorotetrafluoroethane, propylene, butene, and butadiene (51, 91,115). 

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