Styrene → 1,3-Butadiene

Participants

Reaction Steps

ABS co-polymers are prepared by a two stage emulsion polymerisation process. In the first stage butadiene is polymerised in an aqueous solution of an anionic detergent to give particles of polybutadiene surrounded by a layer of soap molecules. Acrylonitrile and styrene are then added, together with an initiator, which results in a soap-stabilised emulsion of butadiene particles cross-linked with acrylonitrile-styrene co-polymer. The emulsion may be coagulated by acidification or by the addition of water miscible organic solvents. Samples of such an emulsion containing 32.32% solids were used in the following examples.

Provenance & Evidence