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Mechanical and aging resistance performance of acrylic sheets containing EPDM-graft-poly(styrene-co-methyl methacrylate)

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Abstract

The addition of ethylene-propylene-diene rubber (EPDM) into acrylic sheets was expected to enhance their thermal and UV aging resistance for outdoor applications. According to the dissimilar polarity of EPDM and styrene (ST)/methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomer mixture (20/80% (w/w)) used for preparation of acrylic sheets, this research aimed to modify EPDM via graft copolymerization with ST and MMA to increase its compatibility. The graft copolymerization of ST and MMA at a ST/MMA ratio of 25/75% (w/w) onto EPDM was carried out in the solution polymerization initiated by benzoyl peroxide at 90 °C for 16 h, resulting in 88.1% grafting efficiency. The addition of 1.0–3.0% (w/w) of graft EPDM (GEPDM) into the acrylic sheets increased their impact strength (~ 17–22%), but decreased their flexural strength (~ 12–36%). However, their mechanical properties were improved after thermal and UV aging. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) based analysis of the modified acrylic sheets revealed that the fracture surface shifted from brittle to ductile failure characteristics after modification. The thermogravimetric analysis results also exhibited that the addition of GEPDM improved the thermal and UV resistance of the modified acrylic sheets by increasing their initial decomposition temperature and activation energy of thermal decomposition.

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the co-funding of the Thailand Research Fund (TRF)-Master Research Grants (MAG-WII525S018), the 90th Anniversary of Chulalongkorn University Fund (Ratchadaphiseksomphot Endowment Fund), The National Research University Project of CHE, the Ratchadaphiseksomphot Endowment Fund (AM1024I) and the Thai Government Stimulus Package 2 (TKK 2555) under the Project for Establishment of Comprehensive Center for Innovative Food, Health Products and Agriculture (PERFECTA) for their financial support. Many thanks to Pan Asia Industrial Co., Ltd. for providing the chemicals and equipment throughout this project. The authors also wish to express their thanks to Dr. Robert Douglas John Butcher (Publication Counseling Unit, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University) for English language editing.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Program in Petrochemistry and Polymer Science, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, 254 Phayathai Road, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand

    Pranee Nuinu

  2. Center for Petroleum, Petrochemicals and Advanced Materials, Chulalongkorn University, 254 Phayathai Road, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand

    Pranee Nuinu & Napida Hinchiranan

  3. Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi, Pathumthani, 12110, Thailand

    Sommai Pivsa-Art

  4. Department of Chemical Technology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, 254 Phayathai Road, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand

    Napida Hinchiranan

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  1. Pranee Nuinu
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Correspondence to Napida Hinchiranan.

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Nuinu, P., Pivsa-Art, S. & Hinchiranan, N. Mechanical and aging resistance performance of acrylic sheets containing EPDM-graft-poly(styrene-co-methyl methacrylate). J Polym Res 19, 9784 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10965-011-9784-2

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