Chapter 2 - Styrenic Plastics

Abstract

This chapter focuses on styrenic plastics and covers a broad class of polymeric materials of which styrene is an important part. Styrene, also known as vinyl benzene, is an organic compound. Its structure is shown with the help of figures. Styrene is used as a monomer to make plastics such as polystyrene, ABS, styrene-acrylonitrile (SAN), and the other polymers discussed in the chapter. Polystyrene is the simplest plastic based on styrene. Pure solid polystyrene is a colorless, hard plastic with limited flexibility. Polystyrene can be transparent or can be made in various colors. Polystyrene's most common use is as expanded polystyrene (EPS). One of the most important plastics is high impact polystyrene (HIPS). ASA is the acronym for acrylate rubber modified styrene acrylonitrile copolymer. ASA is a terpolymer that can be produced either by a reaction process of all three monomers or by a graft process. Styrene and acrylonitrile monomers can be copolymerized to form a random, amorphous copolymer that has good weatherability, stress crack resistance, and barrier properties. The copolymer is called styreneacrylonitrile or SAN. Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) is a common thermoplastic used to make light, rigid, molded products such as pipes, automotive body parts, wheel covers, enclosures, and protective headgear. Methyl methacrylate-aerylonitrile-butadienestyrene (MABS) is a new modification of ABS. It is sometimes called transparent ABS, a copolymer of methyl methacrylate, acrylonitrile, butadiene, and styrene. The key properties of MABS are excellent transparency, high impact strength, and good chemical resistance.