Styrene-acrylonitrile Copolymer Research Articles

Achieving optimum balance between mechanical properties and gloss of acrylonitrile–styrene–acrylate resin through control of rubber particle size distribution

AbstractPreparation of acrylonitrile–styrene–acrylate (ASA) with high gloss and superior impact properties is still challenging. Here, we developed a new strategy for the preparation of ASA resins by a selective redox initiation method based on a semi‐continuous emulsion polymerization technique. A series of ASA core‐shell impact modifiers were firstly obtained by grafting styrene (St) and acrylonitrile (AN) onto poly(n‐butyl acrylate) (PBA) seeded latexes of different sizes. The ASA core‐shell impact modifier was then used to toughen the styrene–acrylonitrile copolymer (SAN). The synergistic effects between the single particle size of the rubber phase and different particle sizes were systematically investigated, and the mechanical properties of SAN‐toughened resins at various particle sizes of the rubber phase were analyzed. The results revealed that toughened SAN with small particle sizes possessed better gloss, and the impact strength of the doped small‐particle toughened SAN was much higher than that of the single particle size toughened SAN. The ASA graft powders synthesized from large particle PBA (particle size 316 nm) and small particle PBA (particle size 99 nm), respectively, were mixed at a 50/50 ratio and blended with SAN resin, a gloss level reaching 95, and an impact performance of 275 J/m values almost twice those of a single particle size toughened SAN.Highlights Acrylonitrile–styrene–acrylate resins with an impact strength of 275 J/m and gloss of 95 were prepared. The balance between mechanical properties and gloss of acrylonitrile–styrene–acrylate resin was obtained. Polymerization was initiated at low temperature.

Preparation of Poly(Styrene-co-Acrylonitrile)-Grafted Attapulgite via Simultaneous Reverse and Normal Initiation Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (SR&NI ATRP) and Its Effect on Polycarbonate/Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene Terpolymer Ternary Composites

To further improve the comprehensive properties of polycarbonate/acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene terpolymer blends (PC/ABS), in this work, styrene–acrylonitrile copolymer [P(St-co-An)] was grafted on the surface of attapulgite particles (ATP) by simultaneous reverse and normal initiation ATRP (SR&NI ATRP) to yield ATP@P(St-co-An) hybrid particles. Then a series of PC/ABS/ATP@P(St-co-An) composites were prepared via the melt blending method. The effects of ATP@P(St-co-An) content on the morphological, mechanical, thermal and rheological properties of the composites were investigated in detail. The core-shell ATP@P(St-co-An) hybrid particles with the polymer layer thickness of 20-40 nm were synthesized successfully according to the results of X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS), Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The improvement in mechanical properties, reduced glass transition temperature (T g) difference between PC and ABS and micromorphology changes of the composites proved the compatibilization, strengthening, and toughening effect of the ATP@P(St-co-An). Compared with the PC/ABS blend, with strength and toughness of 50.8 MPa and 56.3 kJ/m2, when the ATP@P(St-co-An) content was 4 wt%, a reasonable balance (85.8 MPa and 86.2 kJ/m2) between strength and toughness was achieved with substantially enhanced thermal stability. Moreover, the composite showed more remarkable non-Newtonian behavior, and its processability was also improved. We believe this work provides an effective approach to optimize the compatibility and comprehensive properties of PC/ABS blends.

In Situ Formation of Compound Eye-like SAN-OSB Composite Microspheres by Melt-Blending Method: Enhancing Multiple-Scattering Effect.

The preparation of novel structures of light-diffusing particles is currently a research focus in the field of light-diffusing materials. This study, conducted by the common melt-blending process, controlled thermodynamic and kinetic factors to distribute smaller-sized organic silica bead (OSB) particles at the interface between a polycarbonate (PC) matrix and spherical island-phase styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer (SAN) for the in situ formation of compound eye-like microspheres with SAN as "large eyes" and OSBs as "small eyes". Through the multiple-scattering effects of these compound eye-like microspheres, these light-diffusing materials significantly improved the haze, scattering range, and light-shielding capabilities while maintaining high transmittance. Specifically, the PC/SAN-OSB light-scattering materials achieved a haze of 100% with an OSB content of only 0.17%, maintaining a transmittance of 88%. Compared with the PC/OSB system with the same level of haze, the addition of OSB was reduced by 88%. Therefore, this study achieved exceptionally effective light-diffusing materials through a simple, environmentally friendly, and low-cost preparation method, suitable for the scalable production of light-diffusing materials in new display and lighting fields.

Preparation of poly(butyl acrylate)‐grafted‐poly(styrene‐co‐acrylonitrile) particles for toughening poly(styrene‐co‐acrylonitrile) resin

AbstractHerein, the impact modifier of poly(butyl acrylate) grafted poly(styrene‐co‐acrylonitrile) (PBA‐g‐SAN) with 60% rubber content was prepared by emulsion grafting polymerization and subsequently blended with styrene–acrylonitrile copolymer (SAN) resin to construct acrylate styrene acrylonitrile (ASA) resins. The effects of acrylonitrile content of PBA‐g‐SAN copolymer and PBA size on the ASA resins' mechanical properties were investigated. Experimental results revealed that ASA resin's highest impact strength reached 27.75 kJ/m2. The lap shear adhesion test suggested that the PBA‐g‐SAN copolymer with 21% AN content exhibited excellent interfacial adhesion with SAN resin. The PBA‐g‐SAN particles with 100 and 400 nm poly (butyl acrylate) as core rubbers demonstrated a synergistic toughening effect for SAN resin. The high blackness ASA resin with excellent impact resistance was obtained when the 100 nm and the 400 nm poly (butyl acrylate) particle mass ratio reached 8/2.Highlights The ASA resin with 27.75KJ/m2 impact strength was prepared. The synergistic toughening mechanisms were investigated. The high blackness ASA resin was constructed.

Facile preparation of SAN/NBR TPV with balanced stiffness-toughness via metal-ligand coordination-induced dynamic vulcanization and in situ interfacial compatibilization

In this work, metal-ligand coordination interaction was utilized to induce the dynamic vulcanization (DV) of styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer (SAN)/butadiene acrylonitrile rubber (NBR)/cupric sulfate (CuSO4) TPVs. The TPVs exhibited co-continuous structure, in which the CuSO4 particles distributed in continuous NBR network to cross-link NBR phase through interaction between Cu2+ and nitrile groups (-CN), enhancing the mechanical strength and thickness of NBR network. CuSO4 particles were refined to nanoparticles during DV, and then migrated to SAN/NBR interface and interacted with SAN and NBR simultaneously to realize in-situ compatibilization, resulting in efficient toughening of SAN without sacrificing its stiffness. With 20 phr CuSO4, the TPVs showed excellent impact toughness of 104.51 kJ/m2, which was 58 times that of the neat SAN. Meanwhile, the TPVs exhibited improved tensile strength, elongation at break, tensile toughness and Young's modulus, revealing the balanced stiffness-toughness properties of TPVs. We propose a feasible approach to fabricate high-performance TPVs, and it may expand the research scope of dynamic vulcanization.

Enhancing oil–water emulsion separation using improved styrene–acrylonitrile copolymer membrane: Experimental and thermodynamic study of the impact of solvent mixtures

AbstractThis study investigated the fabrication of styrene–acrylonitrile copolymer (SAN) membrane using the nonsolvent‐induced phase separation (NIPS) method with a combination of solvents, namely N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone (NMP) and dimethylformamide (DMF) and water as the nonsolvent. Since the impact of varying solvent ratios on SAN membrane performance remained unexplored, this study aimed to address this knowledge gap in the context of oil–water emulsion separation. Experimental results demonstrated that employing a solvent mixture, rather than a pure solvent, led to improved membrane performance. The primary objective of this work was to experimentally determine the optimal solvent ratio for enhancing SAN copolymer membrane performance. Additionally, the Flory–Huggins thermodynamic model was applied to investigate the possibility of predicting membrane binodal data. The thermodynamic analysis revealed a strong agreement between calculated and experimental binodal data, with an error of less than 3.8%. Notably, membranes produced with an equal solvent ratio exhibited the most hydrophilic properties, resulting in increased permeability. The permeate flux for distilled water reached 320 L/(m2 h) (LMH), and water contact angle of the membrane was 22°. Furthermore, mechanical resistance increased up to 50%. These results highlight the promising potential of fabricating SAN membrane using solvent mixtures for oil–water emulsion separation.

Enhanced bending electromechanical properties of maleic anhydride-grafted SEBS gels by blending with acrylonitrile-styrene copolymer

The poly(styrene-b-ethylene-co-butylene-b-styrene) (SEBS) gel which a type of electroactive thermoplastic elastomer has significant intrinsic electromechanical coupling effect owing to its unique microphase separated structure. However, the relationship between the structure and electromechanical properties of SEBS gel remains incompletely understood. This study investigates the effects of polar groups and nanostructure parameters on the bending electromechanical property of SEBS gel for improving its bending electromechanical properties, using maleic anhydride-grafted SEBS/white oil (WO) gel (SEBS-M gel) and blends of SEBS-M gel with acrylonitrile-styrene copolymer (SAN). The SEBS-M gel/SAN films exhibited a hexagonally packed cylinder (HEX) morphology, and the radius of polystyrene domains (rPS) as well as the thickness of poly(ethylene-co-butylene) (PEB) domains (dPEB) in the SEBS-M gel/SAN slightly decreased with increasing SAN content up to 15 phr, followed by an increase. The bending displacement and actuation stress of SEBS-M gel/SAN increased with increasing SAN content up to 15 phr. The bending displacement of SEBS-M gel at 1.4 kV is approximately 74 % of that of SEBS gel, while the bending displacement of SEBS-M gel/SAN-15 at 1.4 kV is approximately 195 % and 266 % higher than that of SEBS gel and SEBS-M gel when the SAN content reaches 15 phr, respectively. The grafted maleic anhydride has a counteractive effect on the bending electromechanical properties of SEBS gel, while blending with a certain amount of SAN in SEBS-M gel has a synergistic effect on the bending electromechanical properties of SEBS gel. It is demonstrated that the enchantment of bending electromechanical properties of SEBS gel is achieved not only by adjusting the parameters of its microphase-separated structure but also by inducing segment deformation through electric field-induced dipole orientations.

Tuning the distribution of carbon nanotubes in styrene–acrylonitrile copolymer by a small amount of polycarbonate

Tuning the distribution of carbon nanotubes in styrene–acrylonitrile copolymer by a small amount of polycarbonate

Determination of complex refractive index of plastics from ultraviolet to mid-infrared by ellipsometry

Plastic litter is a pervasive issue in the ocean, posing threats to both marine ecosystems and human health. In the field of marine remote sensing detection, one common method for detecting and identifying marine plastics is by analyzing their optical characteristics, specifically their spectral remote sensing reflectance. This reflectance is dependent on the complex refractive index of plastics. Therefore, understanding the complex refractive index, which is an intrinsic optical property of plastics, holds significant importance in marine plastics research. In this study, we utilized spectroscopic ellipsometry to measure the complex refractive index of 9 common ploymers including polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), methyl methacrylate–styrene copolymer (MS), polyethylene (PE), poly (ethylene glycol-co-cyclohexane-1,4-dimethanol terephthalate) (PETG), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyoxymethylene (POM), perfluoroalkoxy (PFA), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), and styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer (SAN). In addition, we have expanded the complex range of refractive index measurements to include UV and MIR bands with wavelengths up to 32 μm. To ensure the reliability and accuracy of the measurements, experimental results for polycarbonate (PC) were compared with data from the existing literature. The variation of refractive index with wavelength is studied and the causes of absorption peaks in the infrared range are discussed. Furthermore, Considering the dispersion relationship and monomer composition of PMMA, MS, ABS and SAN plastics, a comparative analysis of plastics with commonly used monomers is conducted, and the influence of monomers on refractive index is discussed. Our study indicates that the presence of styrene monomers leads to an increase in the refractive index of plastics in the visible to near-infrared band, while the presence of butadiene monomers results in a decrease.The findings from this study provide fundamental data for future research on marine plastic remote sensing detection applications.

Unexpected super anti-compressive styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer/polyurea nanocomposite foam with excellent solvent resistance, re-processability and shape memory performance

High-performance, recycling and environmental protection are the goal of the development of polymer materials in the future. The introduction of crosslinking and composite are two main ways to improve the comprehensive properties of materials, however, which leads to the non-recyclability of materials or brings difficulties to the recovery process. Here, we report a polymer nanocomposite foam with superior compression properties to most existing commercial foams, just originating from common commercial styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer (SAN) and polyurea (PUA), and develop a green and energy-efficient method to fabricate high-performance rigid foam by reactive plasticizing and reaction induced phase-separation combining with supercritical CO2 (sc-CO2) foaming. Reaction induced phase-separation results in the in-situ formation of nanoscale structure in the cell walls of the resultant foams, in which the crosslinked PUA is the dispersed phase with the size of 10–40 nm in the matrix of SAN. Optimizing crosslinking network structure of PUA dramatically improve the comprehensive performance of SAN/PUA nanocomposite foams. The resultant SAN/PUA nanocomposite foam shows some performance characteristic of thermosetting polymers, such as excellent heat resistance and solvent resistance than the SAN matrix, meanwhile the performance characteristic of thermoplastic polymers, such as re-processability. More interestingly, the SAN/PUA nanocomposite foam presents excellent shape memory performance. With the above exceptional performances, this polymer nanocomposite foam will be a perfect substitute for the existing commercial rigid foams.

Miscibility of nitrated poly(phenylene oxide) and styrene–acrylonitrile copolymer blends

AbstractPoly(2,6‐dimethyl‐1, 4‐phenylene oxide) (PPO) is a well‐known high heat‐resistant polymer and miscible with polystyrene. However, it is not miscible with many polymers containing polar groups. In the present study, PPO was nitrated to prepare a nitrated PPO (NPPO) containing polar nitro groups and blended with a copolymer of styrene/acrylonitrile (SAN). Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) data showed that NPPO in SAN‐rich phase was miscible with SAN, while NPPO in NPPO‐rich phase was partially phase‐separated from SAN, both over the entire blend composition range from NPPO wt. fractions of 0.1–0.5 investigated for this work. Analyses of Fourier‐transform infrared (FTIR) and ultra‐violet (UV–VIS) spectra indicated that the miscibility of NPPO with SAN was caused by intermolecular hydrogen bonding of CN group of SAN with OH end‐group of NPPO in the NPPO/SAN blends. NPPO's OH end‐group, meta‐nitro 2,6‐dimethyl phenol, was produced during nitration of PPO due to chain scission of aryl ether bond. Besides the intermolecular hydrogen bonding, dipole‐diplo interaction of the CN and nitro groups resulted in dissociation of the CN dimers and trimers to the CN monomers in the NPPO/SAN blends.

Compatibilizing and toughening blends of recycled acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene/recycled high impact polystyrene blends via styrene-butadiene-glycidyl methacrylate terpolymer

To increase the effectiveness of recovered acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (rABS) and recycled high impact polystyrene (rHIPS), styrene-butadiene-glycidyl methacrylate (SBG) was incorporated to the rABS/rHIPS system by melt blending for the first time. Multiple epoxy groups in SBG can combine with the butadiene ageing groups in rABS/rHIPS to generate ester groups, repairing the broken molecular chains, improving the compatibility between the two phases, and enhancing the mechanical properties of the blends. The findings demonstrated that adding SBG greatly increased the blends' molecular weight, impact strength, tensile strength, flexural strength, storage modulus, loss modulus, and complex viscosity. When SBG content was 8 wt%, the notch impact strength of the blends reached 8.84 kJ/m2, which was 108% higher than that of rABS/rHIPS. In addition, the interface between polybutadiene (PB) phase and styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer (SAN) phase became more blurred, and the compatibility of the two phases was improved, which enabled the high-value recovery of rABS/rHIPS.

Electrospun poly(ST-Co-AC)/Co-ZIF-67@Chitosan composite nanofibers as a sorbent with superior reusability for pesticide residues analysis in food samples

Pollution caused by pesticides have attracted huge attention, and it is of a great significance to develop sensitive methods for trace monitoring these analytes in complicated matrices. Herein, the composite of styrene acrylonitrile copolymer p(St-Co-AC)/zeolitic based metal–organic frameworks (Co-ZIF-67)/Chitosan (CS) electrospun nanofibers was fabricated by using an electrospinning approach. The resultant composite nanofibers were characterized to apply as a novel adsorbent for pipette tip micro solid-phase extraction (PT- μSPE) of four pesticides prior to GC-FID analysis. Incorporating Co-ZIF-67@Chitosan into p(ST-Co-AC) results in increasing the porosity features and surface area of the nanofibers. The effect of different main parameters on extraction efficiency was evaluated. Under the optimal conditions, linearity ranges were 1.5–2000.0 ng mL−1 for ethofumasate, 2.0–2000.0 ng mL−1 for ametryn and propazine, and 3.0–2000.0 ng mL−1 for tribenuron-methyl (R2 = 0.9951–0.9997). The LODs (according to S/N = 3) were calculated in the range of 0.5 to 1.0 ng mL−1.The relative standard deviations (RSDs) were obtained between 5.1 % – 6.1 % (intra-day, n = 5) and 5.6 %–6.4 % (inter-day, n = 3) for three sequential days. The developed method was investigated in food samples including apple, tomato, honey, and milk, and achieved recoveries (88.1–95.2 %) indicated that the fabricated sorbent could be a promising composite for the pre-concentration of pesticides in various matrices.

Effect of Polymer Substrate on Adhesion of Electroless Plating in Irradiation-Based Direct Immobilization of Pd Nanoparticles Catalyst.

Pd nanoparticles were directly immobilized on acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS), acrylonitrile-styrene copolymer (AS), polystyrene (PS), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC), polypropylene (PP), and polyethylene (PE) polymer substrates via chemical reactions induced by ionizing irradiation. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis revealed that the chemical state of the immobilized Pd nanoparticles depended on the polymer substrate type. Electroless plating was performed using the immobilized Pd nanoparticles as the catalyst, and Cu-plating films were deposited on all polymer substrates. The results of the tape-peeling test suggested that the chemical state of the immobilized Pd nanoparticles on the polymer substrates affected the plating adhesion strength. Notably, ABS with immobilized Pd particles exhibited a high adhesion strength beyond the practical level, even without prior chemical etching. It was presumed that the high adhesion strength was owing to the anchoring effect of the holes generated on the ABS surface by ionizing irradiation.

Asymmetric block copolymer membrane fabrication mechanism through self-assembly and non-solvent induced phase separation (SNIPS) process

In this paper, the concept of the functional mechanism of copolymer membrane formation is explained and analyzed from the theoretical and experimental points of view. To understand the phase inversion process and control the final membrane morphology, styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer (SAN) membrane morphology through the self-assembly phenomena is investigated. Since the analysis of the membrane morphology requires the study of both thermodynamic and kinetic parameters, the effect of different membrane formation conditions is investigated experimentally; In order to perceive the formation mechanism of the extraordinary structure membrane, a thermodynamic hypothesis is also developed based on the hydrophilic coil migration to the membrane surface. This hypothesis is analyzed according to Hansen Solubility Parameters and proved using EDX, SAXS, and contact angle analysis of SAN25. Moreover, the SAN30 membrane is fabricated under different operating conditions to evaluate the possibility of morphological prediction based on the developed hypothesis.

Microplastic contamination and characteristics spatially vary in the southern Black Sea beach sediment and sea surface water

In this study, the abundance, and characteristics of the microplastics on the southern coast of the Black Sea were assessed. More than 70% of the detected microplastics were smaller than 2.5 mm and mostly consisted of fibers and fragments. The average microplastic abundance in the beach sediment and seawater were 64.06 ± 8.95 particles/kg and 18.68 ± 3.01 particles/m3, respectively. The western coast of the study area (Marmara region) was the most polluted area, and a spatially significant difference was determined in terms of abundance. The composition in the beach sediment (particles/kg) was dominated by styrene acrylonitrile copolymer (SAC) (40.53%), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) (38.75%), and polyethylene (PE) (6.91%), whereas the seawater (particles/m3) was dominated by PET (57.26%), PE (13.52%), and polypropylene PP (11.24%). The results of our study can be a baseline for environmental modeling studies and experimental studies on the marine organisms inhabiting the Black Sea.

Styrene-acrylonitrile-copolymer and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene-copolymer: a study on extractable and migratable oligomers

ABSTRACT Styrene-acrylonitrile-copolymer (SAN) and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene-copolymer (ABS) are gaining in importance as food contact materials. Oligomers and other non-intentionally added substances can migrate into foodstuffs. Five SAN and four ABS samples from the German market and manufacturers were extracted and the extractable oligomers were characterised by high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/ultraviolet detection/chemiluminescence nitrogen detection/fluorescence detection and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Trimers, formed from acrylonitrile and styrene units, were determined to be the dominating group of extractable oligomers in SAN and ABS in concentrations of about 4900–15800 mg/kg material. Furthermore, styrene-acrylonitrile dimers, styrene oligomers, styrene monomer and ethylbenzene were identified in the sample extracts. Migration testing with three consecutive migrations for multiple use articles was performed for two SAN articles. Migration of trimers into water, 3% acetic acid, 10% and 20% ethanol under hot-fill conditions (70°C, 2 h) was not detectable above 9 µg/dm2, while 50% ethanol acting as a food simulant for milk (124 µg/dm2 trimers during the third migration) was shown to overestimate the actual migration into milk (< 11 µg/dm2 trimers at 70°C, 2 h). 2-Amino-3-methyl-1-naphthalenecarbonitrile (AMNC), an oligomer degradation product and a primary aromatic amine, was detected in all material sample extracts (0.3–17.1 mg/kg material) and was released into food simulants in low amounts (< 0.014 µg/dm2 during the third migration into 50% ethanol at 70°C, 2 h).

Effect of styrene acrylonitrile copolymer on the performance of TEP/PMMA composites

In this paper, TEP/PMMA composites system and SAN/TEP/PMMA composites system were prepared by in situ polymerization using methyl methacrylate (MMA), triethyl phosphate (TEP) and styrene acrylonitrile copolymer (SAN) as raw materials. The results show that TEP can improve the flame retardant performance of PMMA, and the oxygen index increases from 18.35% to 23.75%, when the content of TEP reaches 20 wt%, UL-94 reaches the V-0 level, but its thermal and mechanical properties are affected by ester group in TEP, which decreases significantly with the increase of TEP content; the mechanical and thermal properties of the composites system are improved with the increase of SAN content and tensile strength. The tensile strength increased from 37.06 MPa to 45.5 MPa, the bending strength increased from 44.58 MPa to 55.01 MPa, and the shore hardness increased from 80HD to 82HD. SAN/TEP/PMMA composites system can improve the initial decomposition temperature and increase 16 °C, the flame retardant performance of SAN/TEP/PMMA composites system is not affected by SAN content, and the visible light transmittance of both TEP/PMMA and SAN/TEP/PMMA composites system can reach 88%. This research will be of great significance in many fields such as architecture, automobile, home decoration, advertising and so on.

Preparation and evaluation of amidoximated poly(styrene-acrylonitrile) nanofibers for uranium adsorption from aqueous solutions

In the present research, ultrafine styrene–acrylonitrile copolymer nanofibers (SAN-NFs) were prepared based on the forcespinning method. The SAN solution of 10% in THF: DMF solvent mixture, a 27-gauge nozzle and a rotational speed of 5000 rpm were the optimized parameters for the preparation of SAN-NFs with an average diameter of 335 nm. The obtained nanofibers were used to adsorb uranium (U) from aqueous solutions after converting their nitrile groups to amidoxime by hydroxylamine solution (10%, w/v). For evaluating the applicability of SAN-NFs to U removal and so, the process of adsorption, the effects the initial concentration of U, solution pH and contact time were studied. The maximum adsorption of U ions was 177 mg.g−1, which was obtained under optimal conditions of pH 4 and contact time of 270 min by prepared NFs. The results showed that the proper model for equilibrium isotherm is the Langmuir model and also the kinetics of U adsorption on this adsorbent is based on the pseudo-second-order model.

Improving the Vicat Softening Point of Poly (Vinyl Chloride) mixtures through blending with different polymers and inorganic fillers

To improve the Vicat Softening Point of PVC compounds, blending technique was used to blend PVC with other polymers such as Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), Acrylonitrile styrene acrylate (ASA) and Poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) at different ratios (5, 10 and 20 %), then comparing the mechanical and thermal properties obtained with commercial heat modifier polymer Alpha Methyl Styrene-Acrylonitrile copolymer (AMSAN) The blended PVC mixtures were studied to find that, the best polymer that can be used to improve the Vicat Softening point. It was the blend of PVC with PMMA. Also, the effect of adding inorganic fillers to PVC mixtures such as Calcium Carbonate and Talc with different particles size at different amounts (5, 10 and 20 phr) were mechanically and thermally studied to find that, the suitable type of filler which can be used in enhancing the Vicat softening point, where it was Talc with particles size 0.7 Micron. By preparing the two best results achieved with PVC mixture which include PMMA and 0.7 Micron Talc it was obtained the highest Vicat softening point (VSP). It reached to 80.6 oC where it was 70.5 oC for the PVC without VSP improver and reached to 77.1 oC using commercial VSP improver.