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Approaches to branched polystyrene using bulk free‐radical polymerization
Author(s) -
Tinetti S. M.,
Faulkner B. J.,
Nelson R. M.,
Priddy D. B.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-4628(19970425)64:4<683::aid-app7>3.0.co;2-j
Subject(s) - polystyrene , polymerization , monomer , branching (polymer chemistry) , polymer chemistry , materials science , radical polymerization , polymer , glycidyl methacrylate , styrene , chemical engineering , copolymer , composite material , engineering
Preparation of branched polystyrene using continuous bulk styrene polymerization is extremely difficult due to gel formation and can even lead to reactor plugging. This investigation explores the concept of post‐polymerizer branching by placing latent functional groups along the polymer backbone which couple during high‐temperature devolatilization of the polymerized effluent. The latent functional monomer pair investigated is glycidyl methacrylate and acrylic acid. The key to producing a branched polystyrene that is thermally stable is to add one of the latent functional monomers in large excess, making the other monomer the limiting reagent. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 64: 683–687, 1997