Exploring the Conductivity, Solubility, and thermodynamic properties of sulfonated waste styrofoam through experimental and theoretical studies

Abstract

In this work, sulfonated WPS (SWPS) was synthesized using concentrated sulfuric acid (Con. H2SO4) at various concentrations (0.01–0.05 mol.dm−3) and temperatures (313 K, 333 K, and 353 K) and the structure was confirmed by various analytical techniques. The degree of sulfonation (DS) values was determined using cation exchange capacity (CEC), 1H NMR, and UV–visible spectroscopy, and to investigate the influence of temperature and various concentration of H2SO4 during the sulfonation reaction. The conductivity of the SWPS was calculated and found to range from 0.23 × 10−6 S.cm−1 to 40.2 × 10−6 S.cm−1. The theoretical solubility parameters of SWPS were determined and compared with experimental values. Using Frenkel-Erying equation, Thermodynamic parameters of SWPS was calculated and also evaluated the correlation between the intrinsic viscosity (η) and viscous flow activation free energy (ΔGv). Our findings contribute to a better understanding of the sulfonation reaction of WPS and the potential applications of SWPS as a functional material.