Expandable polystyrene without any embedded blowing agent

Abstract

In this research, in-situ suspension polymerization of styrene in the presence of graphene, without any blowing agent, was investigated. Steam used in the expansion process of graphene-filled expandable polystyrene (GEPS). The dispersed graphene nano-sheets in the polystyrene matrix may absorb water in high temperatures, which evaporates by lowering the pressure and expansion precedes. The effects of graphene type and loading and steam temperature on the expansion ratio evaluated. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) used to reveal the cross-section morphologies before and after expansion. The effect of graphene on the polymerization kinetics evaluated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results showed that by increasing the graphene loading, the rate of polymerization decreased, and the expansion ratio increased. The highest expansion ratio of about 4.8 was for particles containing 0.4% of graphene. Therefore, it was shown that by using graphene as a dispersed phase, polystyrene particles expanded without any organic blowing agents. Here, the idea of expandable polymers without any embedded blowing agent is introduced, which eliminates the release of volatile organic compounds and makes the process environmentally friendly.

A machine learning approach to estimate the strain energy absorption in expanded polystyrene foams

“…Furthermore, there are studies that present new advancements on it formulation methods or manufacturing techniques to increase its properties, such as strain energy absorption for protective applications, 10 or which make it more environmentally friendly. 11…”

“…Furthermore, there are studies that present new advancements on it formulation methods or manufacturing techniques to increase its properties, such as strain energy absorption for protective applications, 10 or which make it more environmentally friendly. 11 About its microstructure, the EPS is a polymeric material that arranges closedcells that adjoin together across faces and edges. Because of this, its mechanical compressible response is described by three compression stress stages: 12 (a) a linear elastic stage, (b) a plateau stage and, (c) a densification stage.…”

Preparing low-Density microcellular polystyrene foam by in-Situ fibrillated PTFE and supramolecular nucleator TMC-300 in the presence of sc-CO2

“…Polystyrene (PS) foams, as a kind of lightweight material, has been widely applied in construction, insulation, packaging, sports facilities, and transportation. [1][2][3][4] Therefore, it also has a significant market share in the foam market. In addition, since PS is recyclable, its waste minimizing property makes research on PS foam materials essential.…”