Abstract
Despite several attempts to synthesize water-expandable polystyrene (WEPS) beads, the product is still far from commercialization. This is mainly due to the inability of the PS beads to preserve the blowing agent (water) during storage, which leads to the loss of expandability. We report a new generation of WEPS beads with extended shelf life and good expandability. The beads were synthesized through Pickering emulsion polymerization in which cross-linked starch nanoparticles (CSTNs) were used as a water-stabilizing agent. Synthesized beads with different CSTN content could encapsulate 5.0–12 wt % of the water droplets of 3–4 μm in diameter. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that the entrapped water is mainly bound water with a strong adsorption to the starch nanoparticles. Over 88% of the initial bound water content can be preserved 3 months after synthesis, thereby prolonging the shelf life of the CSTNWEPS beads. The expansion behavior of CSTNWEPS beads was investigated in hot oil and at an optimized te...
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