Preparation and mechanical properties of acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene copolymer/clay nanocomposites

Bis(3‐triethoxysilylpropyl) tetrasulfane (TSS) was reacted with the silanol groups of the commercially available clay, Closite®25A (C25A) to prepare TSS‐C25A, which was melt‐compounded with acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene copolymer (ABS). The tetra sulfide groups of TSS‐C25A may chemically react with the vinyl groups of ABS to enhance the interaction between the clay and ABS. The ABS/clay composites exhibited much higher tensile strength and elongation at break than the neat ABS. Especially the elongation at break of ABS/TSS‐C25A composite was 5 times higher than that of neat ABS. The X‐ray diffraction patterns of the clay showed that the d₀₀₁ basal spacing was enlarged from 1.89 nm to 2.71–2.86 nm as a result of the compounding with ABS. According to the thermogravimetric analysis, the thermal decomposition of the composite took place at a slightly higher temperature than that of neat ABS. Intercalated/exfoliated coexisting structures were observed by transmission electron microscopy for the ABS/clay composites. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Preparation and properties of poly(ether‐ester‐amide)/poly(acrylonitrile‐co‐butadiene‐co‐styrene) antistatic blends

A novel antistatic agent poly(ether‐ester‐amide) (PEEA) based on caprolactam, polyethylene glycol, and 6‐aminocaproic acid was successfully synthesized by melting polycondensation. The structure, thermal properties, and antistatic ability of the copolymer were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analyses, and ZC36 megohmmeter. Test results show that PEEA is a block copolymer with a melting point of 217°C and a thermal decomposition temperature of 409°C, together with a surface resistivity of 10⁸ Ω/sq. Antistatic poly(acrylonitrile‐co‐butadiene‐co‐styrene) (ABS) materials were prepared by blending different content of PEEA to ABS resin. The antistatic performances, morphology, and mechanical properties were investigated. It is indicated that the surface resistivity of PEEA/ABS blends decrease with the increasing PEEA content, and the excellent antistatic performance is obtained when the antistatic agent is up to 10–15%. The antistatic performance is hardly influenced by water‐washing and relative humidity, and a permanent antistatic performance is available. The antistatic mechanism is investigated. The compatibility of the blends was studied by scanning electron microscopy images. The ladder distribution of antistatic agent is formed, and a rich phase of antistatic agent can be found in the surface layer. The elongations at break of the blend are improved with the increasing antistatic agent; the tensile strength and the notched impact strength kept almost the same. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011.     

Preparation and properties of nano‐CaCO3/acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene composites

CaCO₃/acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene (ABS) and CaCO₃/ethylene‐vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA)/ABS nanocomposites were prepared by melting‐blend with a single‐screw extruder. Mechanical properties of the nanocomposites and the dispersion state of CaCO₃ particles in ABS matrix were investigated. The results showed that in CaCO₃/EVA/ABS nanocomposites, CaCO₃ nanoparticles could increase flexural modulus of the composites and maintain or increase their impact strength for a certain nano‐CaCO₃ loading range. The tensile strength of the nanocomposites, however, was appreciably decreased by adding CaCO₃ nanoparticles. The microstructure of neat ABS, CaCO₃/ABS nanocomposites, and CaCO₃/EVA/ABS nanocomposites was observed by scanning electron microscopy. It can be found that CaCO₃ nanoparticles were well‐dispersed in ABS matrix at nanoscale. The morphology of the fracture surfaces of the nanocomposites revealed that when CaCO₃/EVA/ABS nanocomposites were exposed to external force, nano‐CaCO₃ particles initiated and terminated crazing (silver streak), which can absorb more impact energy than neat ABS. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Poly(acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene)/Poly(ether ether ketone) Blends: an Attempt Towards a Polymer Reinforced Polymer Composite

Summary: Blends of poly(acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene) (ABS) and poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK), in which PEEK has been used as a reinforcing medium for the ABS matrix in ratios up to 20 wt.‐% of the blend, were prepared by melt mixing using a laboratory mixer. All the blend compositions were processed at the ABS processing temperature so that the PEEK was dispersed in the ABS matrix without actually melting. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) studies revealed that the glass transition temperature (T_g) of the ABS phase in the blend did not show any appreciable change with composition. The dynamic storage modulus measured by DMA was found to be higher for the blend as compared to pure ABS due to reinforcement of the matrix by PEEK. The tensile strength and modulus behavior of these blends were found to follow the curves predicted using models proposed for composite systems having perfect adhesion, which shows the presence of some physical interaction between the blend components. The good tensile properties of the blend have been correlated with the observed morphology. The disperse phase in the blend has been found to be present in extremely small (sub‐micron) dimensions, which not only provides more surface area for possible interactions between the blend components but also result in efficient stress transfer between the matrix and the dispersed phase during the tensile tests. The thermal stability of the blends was investigated using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). TGA further revealed that the constituents degraded at their respective decomposition temperatures.

SEM micrograph of tensile fractured surface of an ABS/PEEK 90/10 blend.     

Preparation,characterization, and properties of crosslinked hydroxylated poly(styrene‐b‐butadiene‐b‐styrene) triblock copolymer

Acrylic acid was crosslinked with N,N′‐methylenebisacrylamide and converted to bioactive hydrogels by neutralization with different amino containing compounds. Several amino containing compounds were used such as 2‐aminopyridine, triethanol amine, hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA), pyridine, and imidazole. The best crosslinker ratio was determined in addition to the maximum absorbed water in different mediums. The antibacterial activity of the prepared gels were examined against examples of Gram‐positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram‐negative bacteria (Escherichia coli) using agar plate method. The study was extended by evaluating one of prepared gels in columns as models for water filters. All prepared gels showed antibacterial action in agar plate method against both bacterium and the column method using one of the prepared gels showed excellent filtration and biocidal action. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Magnetite‐functionalized graphene/poly(styrene‐butadiene‐styrene) composites: thermal and mechanical properties

Advanced polymer composites containing organic–inorganic fillers are gaining increasing attention due to their multifunctional applications. In this work, poly(styrene‐butadiene‐styrene) (SBS) composites containing magnetite‐functionalized graphene (FG) were prepared by a dissolution ? dispersion ? precipitation solution method. Evidently, through morphology studies, amounts of FG were well distributed in the SBS matrix. Improvements in neat SBS properties with respect to FG loading in terms of thermal stability, creep recovery and mechanical properties are presented. As expected, the addition of FG improved the thermal stability and mechanical properties of the composites. The yield strength and Young's modulus of the SBS increased by 66% and 146% at 5 wt% filler loading which can be attributed to the reinforcing nature of FG. Similarly, an increase in the storage and loss modulus of the composites showed a reinforcement effect of the filler even at low concentration. The results also showed the significant role of FG in improving the creep and recovery performance of the SBS copolymer. Creep deformation decreased with filler loading but increased with temperature. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry     

Fire performance and mechanical properties of acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene copolymer/modified expandable graphite composites

The fire performance and mechanical properties of an acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene (ABS) copolymer compounded with different expandable graphites (EG) and fire retardants were studied by using the limiting oxygen index test, the UL‐94 test, a mechanical test, and a thermogravimetric analysis. The ground EG treated with phosphoric acid and silane could have the great increase of the volume expansion ratio. The addition of the treated EG in ABS significantly enhances the fire performance but decreases the impact strength of ABS. ABS with the treated EG has a much higher impact strength than with the as‐received EG because of the smaller particle size of the treated EG and the better adhesion between the ABS and the treated EG. The addition of modified ammonium polyphosphate or decabromodiphenyl oxide/antimony trioxide can considerably improve the fire performance of ABS/treated EG composites because of a synergistic effect. The V‐0 grade (UL‐94) ABS composite with the limiting oxygen index of 32.5 can be obtained by adding small amounts of the treated EG and modified ammonium polyphosphate into ABS. Thermogravimetric analysis results indicate that the initial vapor release temperatures and the weight loss rates of ABS/EG composites are closely related to their fire performance and affected by the fire retardant used. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Properties of polycarbonate/acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene/talc composites

The morphology, tensile, impact properties, and thermal expansion behavior of polycarbonate (PC)/acrylonitrile‐styrene‐butadiene (ABS)/talc composites with different compositions and mixing sequences were investigated. From the studies of morphology of the PC/ABS/talc composites, it was observed that some talc particles were located in both the PC and the ABS phases of the blend but most were at the interface between the PC and ABS phases for every mixing sequence. Aspect ratios of the talc particles determined by TEM image analysis reasonably matched values computed from tensile modulus using composite theory. The thermal expansion behavior, or CTE values, was not significantly influenced by the mixing sequence. The impact strength of the PC/ABS/talc composites depended significantly on the mixing sequence; a premix with PC gave the poorest toughness. The molecular weight of the PC in PC/talc composites was found to be significantly decreased. It appears that the impact strength of the PC/ABS/talc composites is seriously compromised by the degradation of the PC caused by talc. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Study of viscoelastic properties of nanocomposites of SiO2–acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene

Nanocomposites of acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (ABS) and nanosilica with different nanoparticle sizes and various loadings are prepared. Rheological experiments such as frequency sweep, strain sweep, and rotational test are performed to investigate the influence of nanoparticle loading and size on the viscoelastic properties of the nanocomposites. The results show that nanocomposites with higher filler loading and smaller particle size have both higher storage and loss moduli. Moreover, the results indicate that the storage modulus is more sensitive than loss modulus to filler loading and nanoparticle size. The smaller nanoparticles and higher filler loadings lead to the enhancement of nanoparticle surface area so that the viscoelastic properties are intensified through increase of polymer chain adsorption on nanoparticle, and creation of a network structure in the nanocomposites. The network structure causes changes to the rheological behavior of the nanocomposite such as solid‐like behavior in the low‐frequency region and reduction of the Newtonian region. The scanning electron microscopy micrographs revealed that the particle aggregates increase with particle size reduction and increasing nanoparticle content. We also used a nonlinear optimization to obtain the parameters of a multimode Maxwell model for low nanofiller content ABS/SiO₂ nanocomposites and found the relaxation times of the polymer chains increased with increasing nanoparticle content. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Synergistic effect of ammonium polyphosphate and expandable graphite on flame‐retardant properties of acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene

A new intumescent flame‐retardant (IFR) system consisting of expandable graphite (EG) and ammonium polyphosphate (APP) was applied in acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (ABS) resin. A synergistic effect between EG and APP on the flame retardancy of ABS was observed. Fixing the total loading of flame retardant at 15 wt %, the limited oxygen index (LOI) could reach 31 vol % at a weight ratio of 3 : 1 for EG and APP. While LOI values of EG‐ and APP‐filled ABS were only 26.0 and 21.5 vol % at the same loading, respectively. The UL‐94 vertical burning test suggested that samples with different ratios of EG and APP could all pass V‐0 rating while the samples containing EG and APP alone only passed V‐1 rating. Thermogravimetric analysis indicated that the addition of EG and APP (3 : 1 by weight) to ABS led to an increase in the amount of high‐temperature residue by 11.8 wt %, and a decrease of mass loss rate by 0.7%/°C compared with pure ABS. Scanning electronic microscopy revealed a homogeneous compact intumescent char layer of ABS/EG/APP samples. Based on our experiment and combined with others' previous studies, the synergistic mechanism is inferred. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Effect of clay on the properties of poly(styrene‐co‐acrylonitrile)–clay nanocomposites

Clay‐dispersed poly(styrene‐co‐acrylonitrile) nanocomposites (PSAN) were synthesized by a free radical polymerization process. The montmorillonite (MMT) was modified by a cationic surfactant hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride. The structures of PSAN were determined by wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction and FTIR spectroscopy. The dispersion of silicate layers in the polymer matrix was also revealed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It was confirmed that the clay was intercalated and exfoliated in the PSAN matrix. The increased thermal stability of PSAN with the addition of clay was observed by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The dielectric properties of PSAN were measured in the frequency range 100 Hz to 1 MHz at 35–70°C. It was found that the dielectric constant from the dipole orientation had been suppressed due to the intercalation of clay. The dielectric loss is strongly related to the residual sodium content of clay, which increases as the sodium content increases by the addition of clay. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Effect of compatibilizer in acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene toughened nylon 6 blends: Ductile–brittle transition temperature

The ductile–brittle transition temperatures were determined for compatibilized nylon 6/acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene (PA6/ABS) copolymer blends. The compatibilizers used for those blends were methyl methacrylate‐co‐maleic anhydride (MMA‐MAH) and MMA‐co‐glycidyl methacrylate (MMA‐GMA). The ductile–brittle transition temperatures were found to be lower for blends compatibilized through maleate modified acrylic polymers. At room temperature, the PA6/ABS binary blend was essentially brittle whereas the ternary blends with MMA‐MAH compatibilizer were supertough and showed a ductile–brittle transition temperature at ?10°C. The blends compatibilized with maleated copolymer exhibited impact strengths of up to 800 J/m. However, the blends compatibilized with MMA‐GMA showed poor toughness at room temperature and failed in a brittle manner at subambient temperatures. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 90: 2643–2647, 2003     

Application of a novel halogen‐free intumescent flame retardant for acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene

A novel intumescent flame retardant (IFR), containing ammonium polyphosphate (APP) and poly(tetramethylene terephthalamide) (PA4T), was prepared to flame‐retard acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene (ABS). The flame retardation of the IFR/ABS composite was characterized by limiting oxygen index (LOI) and UL‐94 test. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and TGA coupled with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (TG‐FTIR) were carried out to study the thermal degradation behavior of the composite and look for the mechanism of the flame‐retarded action. The morphology of the char obtained after combustion of the composite was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It has been found the intumescent flame retardant showed good flame retardancy, with the LOI value of the PA4T/APP/ABS (7.5/22.5/70) system increasing from 18.5 to 30% and passing UL‐94 V‐1 rating. Meanwhile, the TGA and TG‐FTIR work indicated that PA4T could be effective as a carbonization agent and there was some reaction between PA4T and APP, leading to some crosslinked and high temperature stable material formed, which probably effectively promoted the flame retardancy of ABS. Moreover, it was revealed that uniform and compact intumescent char layer was formed after combustion of the intumescent flame‐retarded ABS composite. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Preparation and properties of TiO2‐filled poly(acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene)/epoxy hybrid composites

Poly (acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene) (ABS) was used to modify diglycidyl ether of bisphenol‐A type of epoxy resin, and the modified epoxy resin was used as the matrix for making TiO₂ reinforced nanocomposites and were cured with diaminodiphenyl sulfone for superior mechanical and thermal properties. The hybrid nanocomposites were characterized by using thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA), dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA), universal testing machine (UTM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The bulk morphology was carefully analyzed by SEM and TEM and was supported by other techniques. DMA studies revealed that the DDS‐cured epoxy/ABS/TiO₂ hybrid composites systems have two T_gs corresponding to epoxy and ABS rich phases and have better load bearing capacity with the addition of TiO₂ particles. The addition of TiO₂ induces a significant increase in tensile properties, impact strength, and fracture toughness with respect to neat blend matrix. Tensile toughness reveals a twofold increase with the addition of 0.7 wt % TiO₂ filler in the blend matrix with respect to neat blend. SEM micrographs of fractured surfaces establish a synergetic effect of both ABS and TiO₂ components in the epoxy matrix. The phenomenon such us cavitation, crack path deflection, crack pinning, ductile tearing of the thermoplastic, and local plastic deformation of the matrix with some minor agglomerates of TiO₂ are observed. However, between these agglomerates, the particles are separated well and are distributed homogeneously within the polymer matrix. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Dynamic mechanical properties in blends of poly(styrene‐b‐isoprene‐b‐styrene) with aromatic hydrocarbon resin

The damping properties in blends of poly(styrene‐b‐isoprene‐b‐styrene) (SIS) and hydrogenated aromatic hydrocarbon (C₉) resin were investigated by dynamic mechanical analysis. SIS exhibited two independent peaks of loss factor (tan δ) corresponding to the glass transition of polyisoprene (PI) and polystyrene (PS) segments, respectively. The addition of hydrogenated C₉ resin had a positive impact on the damping of SIS. With the increasing softening point and content of the resin, the main tan δ peak shifted to higher temperatures and the useful damping temperature range was broadened. Addition of mica or PS was found to widen the effective damping range evidently in the high‐temperature region, especially when PS was mixed in the solid state. It was concluded that the dispersed PS domains played a role of reinforcing fillers at low temperatures and served as a polymer component with a tan δ peak due to its glass transition at the high temperature. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102:4157–4164, 2006     

Synergistic effect of a novel charring agent with ammonium polyphosphate on flame retardancy and thermal degradation of acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene copolymer

A novel charring agent poly(1,3‐propylene terephthalamide) (PPTA) was synthesized and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance. This novel charring agent combined with ammonium polyphosphate (APP) was adopted as an intumescent flame retardant (IFR) to impart flame retardance and dripping resistance to acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene copolymer (ABS). Flammability and thermal behaviors of the treated ABS were investigated by limiting oxygen index, vertical burning test and thermogravimetric analysis. The results showed that the IFR with the novel charring agent had both excellent flame retardant and anti‐dripping abilities for ABS. The thermogravimetric analysis curves indicated that there was a synergistic effect between PPTA and APP, which greatly promoted the char formation of IFR‐ABS composites. Meanwhile, the thermal degradation mechanism of PPTA and APP/PPTA was characterized using thermogravimetric analysis/infrared spectrometry. The results demonstrated that APP changed the thermal degradation behavior of PPTA and reacted with PPTA to form a crosslinked structure. Additionally, the structure and morphology of char residues were studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Compatibility,crystallinity and mechanical properties of poly(lactic acid)‐poly(ether‐block‐amide) based copper nanocomposites

Binary and ternary composites of poly(lactic acid) (PLA), poly(ether‐block‐amide) (PEBAX) and copper nanoparticles were prepared by melt blending in an internal mixer. Compatibility and molecular interactions between the three components of the nanocomposites were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. It was found that the carbonyl groups of the PLA and copper nanoparticles interact. Also, PLA and PEBAX are compatible and develop molecular interactions between the C=O of PLA and the C=O and NH of PEBAX, forming dipole–dipole bonds and hydrogen bonds. The compatibility and molecular interaction between PLA and PEBAX are reduced by copper nanoparticles. The reduction of compatibility between PLA and PEBAX produced a lower storage modulus and lower strain at break in the ternary systems than in the blend PLA‐PEBAX. Copper nanoparticles enhanced the crystallinity of PLA. PLA responded more strongly to the nucleating effect of copper when PEBAX was added indicating a synergistic effect. The strain at break of PLA was enhanced by the addition of PEBAX but was severely reduced by the presence of nanoparticles. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry     

Application of styrene‐acrylonitrile random copolymer–polyarylate block copolymer as reactive compatibilizer for polyamide and acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene blends

Styrene‐acrylonitrile random copolymer (SAN) and polyarylate (PAr) block copolymer were applied as a reactive compatibilizer for polyamide‐6 (PA‐6)/acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene (ABS) copolymer blends. The SAN–PAr block copolymer was found to be effective for compatibilization of PA‐6/ABS blends. With the addition of 3.0–5.0 wt % SAN–PAr block copolymer, the ABS‐rich phase could be reduced to a smaller size than 1.0 μm in the 70/30 and 50/50 PA‐6/ABS blends, although it was several microns in the uncompatibilized blends. As a result, for the blends compatibilized with 3–5 wt % block copolymer the impact energy absorption reached the super toughness region in the 70/30 and 50/50 PA‐6/ABS compositions. The compatibilization mechanism of PA‐6/ABS by the SAN–PAr block copolymer was investigated by tetrahydrofuran extraction of the SAN–PAr block copolymer/PA‐6 blends and the model reactions between the block copolymer and low molecular weight compounds. The results of these experiments indicated that the SAN–PAr block copolymer reacted with the PA‐6 during the melt mixing process via an in situ transreaction between the ester units in the PAr chain and the terminal amine in the PA‐6. As a result, SAN–PAr/PA‐6 block copolymers were generated during the melt mixing process. The SAN–PAr block copolymer was supposed to compatibilize the PA‐6 and ABS blend by anchoring the PAr/PA‐6 and SAN chains to the PA‐6 and ABS phases, respectively. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 83: 2300–2313, 2002     

Optimizing 3D printing performance of acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene composites with cellulose nanocrystals/silica nanohybrids

The preparation of 3D printed products with excellent comprehensive performance is still receiving much attention. Cellulose, the most abundant and green natural polymer, was used in this study to fabricate polymeric composites used for 3D printing. Specifically, novel cellulose nanocrystals/silica nanohybrids (CSNs) were synthesized via the sol–gel method using cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) obtained by hydrolysis of sulfuric acid as raw materials, and the thermostability was significantly improved due to the adsorption of silica (SiO₂) on the surface of the CNCs via hydrogen bonding and covalent bonds. Subsequently, the CSNs were used in fused deposition modeling (FDM) with acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene (ABS) as the matrix. Unlike ABS/CNC product which shows obvious yellowing, the ABS/CSN product shows a smooth undefiled surface, demonstrating their excellent applicability to high temperature FDM molding. Further, the effect of different silane coupling agents on the mechanical properties was compared and organically modified CSNs (oCSNs) were prepared using KH570 to optimize the dispersion of the filler and the interaction with the matrix. Satisfactorily, the addition of organically modified oCSNs not only does not degrade the fluidity but it also eliminates the warpage of FDM products and improves both layer adhesion and mechanical properties. This study provides a pioneering strategy for the thermal processing applications of CNCs and the modification of FDM products. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry     

A conductive foam: Based on novel poly(styrene‐b‐butadiene‐co‐styrene‐b‐styrene) tri‐block copolymer filled by carbon black

In this article, a conductive foam based on a novel styrene‐based thermoplastic elastomer called poly(styrene‐b‐butadiene‐co‐styrene‐b‐styrene) tri‐block copolymer S(BS)S was prepared and introduced. S(BS)S was particularly designed for chemical foaming with uniform fine cells, which overcame the shortcomings of traditional poly(styrene‐b‐butadiene‐b‐styrene) tri‐block copolymer (SBS). The preparation of conductive foams filled by the carbon black was studied. After the detail investigation of cross‐linking and foaming behaviors using moving die rheometer, the optimal foaming temperature was determined at 180°C with a complex accelerator for foaming agent. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images shown that the cell bubbles of conductive foam were around 30–50 µm. The conductivity of foams was tested using a megger and a semiconductor performance tester. SEM images also indicated that the conductivity of foams was mainly affected by the distribution of carbon black in the cell walls. The formation of the network of the carbon black aggregates had a contribution to perfect conductive paths. It also found that the conductivity of foams declined obviously with the foaming agent content increasing. The more foaming agent led to a sharp increasing of the number of cells (from 2.93 × 10⁶ to 6.20 × 10⁷ cells/cm³) and a rapid thinning of the cell walls (from 45.3 to 1.4 µm), resulting in an effective conductive path of the carbon black no forming. The conductive soft foams with the density of 0.48–0.09 g/cm³ and the volume resistivity of 3.1 × 10³?2.5 × 10⁵ Ω cm can be easily prepared in this study. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 41644.