Polystyrene

Views: 0 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2020-08-05 Origin: Site

Polystyrene is one of the most widely used plastics, and is an aromatic polymer made from the monomer styrene, a liquid hydrocarbon that is manufactured from petroleum by the chemical industry.

In chemical terms, polystyrene is a long chain hydrocarbon wherein alternating carbon centers are attached to phenyl groups(the name given to the aromatic ring benzene).The materials properties are determined by short-range Van Ver Waal attractions between polymers chains

(1) Classification Polystyrene is classified into general purpose polystyrene, high-impact polystyrene, expandable polystyrene, SAN(copolymer of polystyrene and acrylonitrile)

(2)Properties Polystyrene can either be a thermoset or a thermon plastic. Pure solid olystyrene is a colorless, hard plastic with limited flexibility. It can be cast into molds with fine detail. Polystyrene can be transparent or can be made to take on various colors. Amorphous polymer has characteristices of optical clarity, dimensional stability, and excellent processibility.

Polystyrene is a rigid, brittle, inexpensive plastic. The only commercially important form of polystyrene is atactic, in which the phenyl groups are randomly distributed on both sides of the olymer chain. The plastic has a glass transition temperature Tg of 80-105'C. Polystyrene typically comprises a chain of a molecular weight of 100000-400000 Polystyrene is soluble in most of the organic solvents known by us.

General purpose polystyrene is the low-cost member of the plastics family.

High-impact polystyrene(HIPS) is generally recognized as the best styrenic material for load bearing applications. Typical applications include food packaging(cups, lids, take-out containers), house wares, office products, and video and audio cassettes. Ignition-resistant plastic grades are used in radio and TV housings.

Expandable Polystyrene(EPS)is generally recognized as the best styrenic material for load bearing applications. Typical applications include food packaging(cups, lids, take-out containers), house wares, office products, and video and audio cassettes. Ignition-resistant plastic grades are used in radio and TV housings.

Polystyrene-Acrylonitrile(SAN)are copolymers that are transparent, amorphous materials with higher heat and chemical resistance than polystyrene plastic. SAN is injection molded into such products as dishwasher-safe housewares, refrigerator shelves, medical devices, oven caps connectors for PVC tubing, and lenses.

Styrene-Butadiene(SB)are block plastic copolymers that combine transparency and high impact strength. Packaging is a major market in items such as cups, lids, trays, and clamshells for the fast-food industry.

(3)Applications Solid polystyrene is used in disposable cutlery, food or beverage packaging, plastic models, CD and DVD cases, Extruded polystyrene foam(XPS), Oriented olystyrene(OPS), foamed polystyrene are nearly ubiquitous, for example packing materials insulation, and foam drink cups, but it does not come into contact with the solvents. It would also be the basis for one of the most popular"foamed"plastics, under the name of styrene foam.or Styrofoam. Foam plastics can be synthesized in an open cell"form, in which the foam bubbles are interconnected, as in an absorbent sponge, and"closed cell", in which all the bubbles are distinct, like tiny balloons, as in gas-filled foam insulation and flotation devices. In the late 1950s high impact styrene was introduced, which was not brittle. It finds much current use as the substance of toy figurines.

Polystyrene is commonly injection molded or extruded, while expanded polystyrene is eithe extruded or molded in a special process. Extruded closed-cell polystyrene foam is sold under the trademark Styrofoam by Dow Chemical.

Pure polystyrene is brittle, but hard enough that a fairly high-performance product can be made by giving it some of the properties of a stretcher material, such as polybutadiene rubber, forming a graft copolymer, which helps to incorporate normal polybutadiene into the final mix, resulting in high-impact polystyrene or HIPS.

Polystyrene

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