A kinetic model for polystyrene (PS) pyrolysis reaction

A mathematical model for the pyrolysis reaction of polystyrene (PS) in a semi-batch reactor has been presented. The thermal degradation of PS was flexibly modeled by a combination of random and specific chain-end scissions. Numerical simulation was used to investigate the effect of operating conditions on the PS products spectrum, the results of which were validated by the experimental data. It was found that as the reaction temperature increased (decreased), the monomer fraction in the products became lower (higher) while the trimer higher (lower). No significant variation in the product composition was, however, observed while constant temperature was maintained. These results indicate the reaction temperature is an effective manipulated variable for the control of products composition of PS pyrolysis. The calculation of the optimum temperature trajectories through the optimization study can thus be of interest for achieving productivity enhancement in plastics pyrolysis processes. This paper is dedicated to Professor Dong Sup Doh on the occasion of his retirement from Korea University.     

PS／炭黑复合材料导电性能的研究

本文通过炭黑（简称ＣＢ）用量、加工工艺、温度对ＰＳ／ＣＢ复合材料导电性能影响的探讨、复合导电材料亚微观结构的观察，研究了ＰＳ／ＣＢ复合材料的导电性能。结果表明，随着ＣＢ含量的增加，材料的电阻率呈非线性下降，当ＣＢ的质量分数在１０％～４０％的范围内时，电阻率下降明显，在此含量范围以后，体积电阻率变化不大；材料的导电性能与加工工艺有关，溶剂法的导电性能比混炼法好；电阻率随温度的升高均有上升的趋势。由复合材料的亚微观结构表明，随着ＣＢ含量的增加，ＣＢ由分散的单个颗粒逐渐连结在一起，最后与ＰＳ形成了一种相互交错式的结构     

Reactive compatibilization of PE/PS blends. Effect of copolymer chain length on interfacial adhesion and mechanical behavior

This paper deals with in situ compatibilization of PE/PS blends via Friedel-Crafts reaction, performed at the interphase. Two polyethylenes having different molecular weights, and the same PS, were used along a wide range of catalyst concentration. The influence of the graft copolymer architecture and content on the efficiency of blend compatibilization was studied. The emulsifying effect, morphological aspects and mechanical behavior were also assessed for these blends. The amount of copolymer formed increases with catalyst concentration and the short chain length fraction of the homopolymers. The high molecular weight (MW) copolymers behaved as better compatibilizers as they showed, at the cmc, greater graft copolymer concentration than the low MW ones. A substantial increase in interfacial adhesion and particle size reduction was observed, even at catalyst concentrations as low as 0.3 wt%. In correspondence, mechanical properties, like ductility and yield strength, were enhanced by the effect of this Friedel-Crafts reaction's compatibilization.     

A modified model predictions and experimental results of weld-line strength in injection molded PS/PMMA blends

In this paper, the model based on melt diffusion and Flory-Huggins free energy theory for predicting the weld-line strength of injection molded amorphous polymers and polymer blends parts were modified by considering the diffusion thickness in the interface as a function of contact time. The modified model for weld-line strength prediction of homopolymers and polymer blends were, respectively, used to evaluate the weld-line strength of Polystyrene (PS) and Poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA), and that of PS/PMMA blends. The model predictions show that the theoretic predictions as a function of temperature and contact time for PS, PMMA and PS/PMMA (80/20, 70/30) are in good agreements with corresponding experimental results. However, the model predictions for PS/PMMA (20/80, 30/70) blends are much higher than experimental results. The morphology in weld-line regions for PS/PMMA (20/80, 30/70) shows lack of dispersed PS phase. Near the weld-line regions, dispersed PS phase is highly oriented along the weld-line. In theoretic prediction for polymer blends, three kinds of diffusion: Polymer A-Polymer A and Polymer B-Polymer B self-diffusions and Polymer A-Polymer B mutual diffusion were considered. This is why model predictions for PS/PMMA (20/80, 30/70) blends are higher than experimental results.     

Improvement of mechanical properties for PP/PS blends by in situ compatibilization

The effect of the in situ compatibilization on the mechanical properties of PP/PS blends was investigated. The application of Friedel-Crafts alkylation reaction to the PP/PS-blend compatibilization was assessed. Styrene/AlCl₃ was used as catalyst system. The graft copolymer (PP-g-PS) formed at the interphase showed relatively high emulsifying strength. Scission reactions, occurring in parallel with grafting, were verified for PP and PS at high catalyst concentration, but no crosslinking reactions were detected. Tensile tests were performed on dog-bone specimens of the blends. Both elongation at break and toughness increased with catalyst concentration. At 0.7% AlCl₃, a maximum was reached, which amounted to five times the value of the property for the uncompatibilized blend. At higher catalyst concentrations these properties decreased along with the PP molecular weight due to chain-scission reactions. On the other hand, the tensile strength did not change with the catalyst concentration. The in situ compatibilized blends showed considerable improvement in mechanical properties, but were adversely affected by chain scissions at high catalyst contents.     

Synthesis and properties of polystyrene‐b‐poly(ethylene oxide)‐b‐polystyrene triblock copolymers

A series of well‐defined and property‐controlled polystyrene (PS)‐b‐poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)‐b‐polystyrene (PS) triblock copolymers were synthesized by atom‐transfer radical polymerization, using 2‐bromo‐propionate‐end‐group PEO 2000 as macroinitiatators. The structure of triblock copolymers was confirmed by ¹H‐NMR and GPC. The relationship between some properties and molecular weight of copolymers was studied. It was found that glass‐transition temperature (T_g) of copolymers gradually rose and crystallinity of copolymers regularly dropped when molecular weight of copolymers increased. The copolymers showed to be amphiphilic. Stable emulsions could form in water layer of copolymer–toluene–water system and the emulsifying abilities of copolymers slightly decreased when molecular weight of copolymers increased. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 101: 727–730, 2006     

Photocatalytic performance of TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> thin films connected with Cu micro-grid

Aiming at reducing the recombination of photo-induced carriers in semiconductor photocatalytic process, we prepared TiO₂ thin film with its surface modified by a connected Cu micro-grid via a microsphere lithography strategy, which showed higher photocatalytic activity than the pure TiO₂ film. The improvement of photocatalytic activity of Cu micro-grid to the TiO₂ film is due to the charge carrier separation and electron transfer by the conducting metal grid. The photocatalytic activity was improved as metal loading increased, which obtained the best performance at a certain loading amount, and then decreased at higher loading amount. This phenomenon was attributed to the metal’s bulk effect which could be explained by the relationship between the energetic positions and the metal cluster size. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 50672003, 50872005) and the National Basic Research Program of China (“973” Project) (Grant No. 2007CB613302) and the Fok Ying Tong Education Foundation (Grant No. 111050)     

Dynamic mechanical properties of agricultural residues‐filled polystyrene

Agricultural residues (cotton straw) were added as very small particles to polystyrene (PS) at different weight ratios by using a melt‐mixing technique. The dynamic mechanical tests were performed over a wide range of temperatures and frequencies by using an ARES rheometer (Rheometrics Scientific) operated in the dynamic mode. The dynamic mechanical properties in terms of the storage modulus (G′), loss modulus (G″), compliance moduli, loss tangent, and dynamic viscosity were studied and compared for PS and PS composite. The results showed that the dynamic mechanical moduli and viscosity were found to increase with the addition of cotton straw and rise further with its loading increasing. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 93: 37–40, 2004     

PS及PS接枝物/CB复合材料的导电性能

研究了ＰＳ及ＰＳ接枝物／ＣＢ复合材料的导电性能，讨论了炭黑用量、温度、加工工艺对其导电性能的影响，并研究了其复合导电材料的亚微结构和导电机理。     

基于微腔光学晶体生物传感器的研究进展

多孔硅（PS）与多孔硅微腔晶体（PSM）作为新型功能材料,其独特的光学特性、微电子相容性、滤过性、纳米微孔生长可控性及大的比表面积为生物信号传感提供了一个较为理想的平台,已制备成多种生物传感器应用于血液,细菌,病毒,DNA等的快速检测中。在分析了PS与PSM的结构和性能的基础上,重点介绍了PS与PSM生物传感器的研究现状,并提出开发微型芯片、集成器件和市场化产品将是PS与PSM生物传感器的发展趋势。