Styrenics blowing agents

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. 

Microcellular Rubber A product usually used for shoe soling application produced by the incorporation of a blowing agent into the high styrene resin soling compound. 

STYR0P0R, BASF - polymerization of styrene monomer in suspension in the presence of pentane as the blowing agent. Manufacture of new insulating packaging materials, etc. Suspension polymerization of crystal polystyrene in Ludwigshafen. 

The styrene content affects the crystallinity of ESI (131) for >50% styrene the copolymers are amorphous. As the styrene content is increased from 50 to 70% styrene the Tg increases from -15 °C to 20 °C. Low density foams were made (8) from a blend of 50% of various ESI polymers, 33% of EVA and 17% of azodicarbonamide blowing agent. Thermal analysis showed that the blends, with an ESI having approximately 70% styrene, had a Tg in the range 22 to 30 °C. Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) traces (see Section 5.1) show that these blends... 

Expandable SAN microspheres are prepared by polymerizing a mixture of styrene and AN with a volatile liquid blowing agent in an encapsulating system. Expandable microspheres of larger size, narrower size distribution and improved expansion characteristics are obtained using an alcohol in the polymerization system, i.e., methanol (7). 

In this process flame-retardants are fed in the extrusion process. EPS is obtained in a two-step process in the first step beads containing blowing agent are prepared by suspension polymerization of styrene in the second step the beads are expanded in the mold. In this case, flame-retardants are added during polymerization. 

Polymerization of Styrene Solutions of Volatile Hydrocarbons. Addition of Hydrocarbon before Polymerization. Bulk Polymerization. Expandable polystyrene was prepared inadvertently in 1945 in an attempt to bulk copolymerize 10% isobutylene with styrene. The product formed a low density foam when heated (96). An early method (1950) for rendering polystyrene expandable by petroleum ether was to dissolve 6 parts of petroleum ether in a 40% solution of polystyrene in benzoyl peroxide-catalyzed styrene and to hold the mass for 28 days at 32 °C. (124). In a recent version of this process, the monomer (chlorostyrene) and blowing agent (trichlorofluoromethane) in a poly (vinyl fluoride) bag were irradiated with y-rays (105). 

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). 

The styrene monomer first may be polymerized to about 65% conversion in the absence of water, and then the blowing agent (cyclopentane) may be added with additional peroxide. This solution is suspended in water in the presence of potato starch, and the polymerization is finished (74). By another modification a styrene solution of waste polystyrene and peroxide is suspended by poly (vinyl alcohol) in water, and pentane is added to the suspension after the solids content of the oil phase is greater than 70% (133). Polystyrene particles may also be suspended in water by a mixture of poly (vinyl alcohol) and a phenyl sulfonate and then a mixture of equal parts of pentane and catalyzed styrene (8% each on polymer) is diffused into the polymer. The temperature is elevated, and the polymerization is completed (23). 

These compounds can be copolymerized with styrene to form crosslinked copolymers. When polyisocyanates are incorporated in these reaction systems, the resulting polymers are hybrid polymers containing polyurethane linkages. Rigid foams can be obtained by using the above reaction in the presence of a blowing agent. 

Suh, K.W. Method for the Preparation of Styrene Polymer Foam, Blowing Agents for the Preparation of Such Foam and Styrene Polymer Foams Prepared with Such Blowing Agents. The Dow Chemical Co. Canadian Patent 1,309,221, 1992. 

---