Polystyrol Styrolux Brochure PDF
Polystyrol Styrolux Brochure PDF
Polystyrol Styrolux Brochure PDF
5 Mechanical properties
8 Thermal properties
9 Rheological properties
10 Electrical properties
Optical properties
11 Permeability to gas and water vapor
Water absorption
12 Resistance to chemicals
Environmental stress cracking behavior
13 Aging behavior
Resistance to high-energy radiation
Resistance to microorganisms
16 Mechanical properties
20 Optical properties
21 Thermal properties
Electrical properties
22 Rheology
Chemical resistance
Stress cracking
23 Permeability
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Organoleptic characteristics
Aging
Sterilizability
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Processing of Polystyrene and Styrolux®
24 General information
25 Injection unit
Injection molding tools
26 Injection molding / Polystyrene
29 Injection molding / Styrolux®
31 Extrusion / Polystyrene
38 Blow molding
Thermoforming
39 Machining
40 Extrusion / Styrolux®
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Polystyrene and Styrolux® – at a glance
These phases have such vanishingly small dimensions and at the High-impact Polystyrene
same time are arranged so systematically that light can pass through High-impact to super-high-impact grades with normal flow for
virtually unhindered without appreciable scattering. extrusion and injection molding.
Products with increased environmental stress cracking resistance
The electron micrograph in Fig. 2 clearly shows the lamellar structural for extrusion and injection molding.
arrangement and the coherent distribution of the rubber phase (dark Polystyrene with high surface gloss.
zones). These features result in the glass-like transparency and the
high toughness. Styrolux®
The Styrolux® line encompasses grades which differ in toughness,
heat distortion resistance and flow.
A grade which flows very easily for producing injection-molded,
tough-and-rigid parts.
Tough universal grades for injection molding and extrusion.
A high-toughness product for extrusion of flat film in admixture
with general-purpose Polystyrene for deep-drawn parts.
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5 µm 1 µm
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Fig. 1: Electron micrograph of an ultra-thin section of high-impact Fig. 2: Electron micrograph of an ultra-thin section of Styrolux ®.
Polystyrene: the number, size, size distribution and internal structure
of the rubber particles determine the property profile of high-impact
Polystyrene.
Mechanical properties of Polystyrene
Test temperature
50 -40°C
-20°C
60 ±0°C
General-purpose Polystyrene 40
+20°C
High-impact
40 30
Polystyrene +40°C
20 +60°C
20
10
+80°C
εR
0 20
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Strain [%] Strain [%]
Fig. 3: Stress-strain curves of general-purpose and high-impact Poly- Fig. 4: Stress-strain curves of high-impact Polystyrene at various test
styrene in a tensile test in accordance with ISO 527. temperatures; strain rate = 2 mm / min, determined on injection-
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Mechanical properties of Polystyrene
4000 Polystyrene
50 168 N
40 3000
30
2000 Polystyrene
Strain rate 486 M
20
500 mm/min
200 mm/min
100 mm/min 1000
10 10 mm/min
1 mm/min
0.1 mm/min
0 0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 -40 -20 0 20 40 60 80
Strain [%] Temperature [°C]
Fig. 5: Stress-strain curves of high-impact Polystyrene at different Fig. 6: Modulus of elasticity of Polystyrene in accordance with ISO 527
strain rates. Determined on injection-molded test specimens. as a function of the temperature. Determined on injection-molded test
specimens.
Λ
An important parameter for describing the rigidity is the modulus of
elasticity determined in a tensile test; this is likewise dependent on the
temperature (Fig. 6). 103
Polystyrene
Shear modulus and logarithmic decrement of the mechanical
10 2 168 N 10
damping
486 M
In place of the modulus of elasticity, the shear modulus determined
in the ISO 6721-2 torsional pendulum test is often employed as a
measure of rigidity. Fig. 7 shows the temperature dependence of the 101 1.0
Mechanical damping
shear modulus. The shear modulus of general-purpose Polystyrene is
virtually constant over a wide temperature range. Only in the soften-
ing range of Polystyrene does it drop sharply by several powers of 100 0.10
ten. The logarithmic decrement of the mechanical damping displays a
maximum at this juncture.
10-1 0.01
10 10
High-impact Polystyrene displays an additional slight drop in the shear -150 -100 -50 0 50 100
modulus or a secondary damping maximum at about -80 °C. This is Temperature [°C]
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Mechanical properties of Polystyrene
20
Notched impact strength at 23°C
15
10
0
F
10
I
5
5
27
6
48
49
45
48
Polystyrene
Thermal properties of Polystyrene
1.5 2.5
Polystyrene 495 F
1.0 2.1
Polystyrene 495 F
0.5 1.7
Polystyrene 168 N
Polystyrene 168 N
0 1.3
-0.5 0.9
-1.0
0 -20 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 -50 0 50 100 150 200 250
Temperature [°C] Temperature [°C]
Fig. 9: Linear thermal expansion of Polystyrene as a function of Fig. 10: Specific heat of Polystyrene as a function of temperature.
temperature.
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Rheological properties of Polystyrene
Temperature 230 °C
104
Polystyrene 158
Polystyrene 486
103 Polystyrene 143
102
101
100
10-2 10-1 100 101 102 103 104 105
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Electrical and optical properties of Polystyrene
2.5 100
Moist
Polystyrene 168 Dry Polystyrene
2
90
10-2
tan δ
10-3 80
10-4 70
10-5
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 60
εR
50
2.5
Polystyrene 495 40
2
10-2
30
tan δ
10-3
20
10-4
10
10-5
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900
logf Wavelength [nm]
Fig. 13: Dielectric constant εR and dissipation factor tan δ of Polysty- Fig. 14: Light transmittance of Polystyrene (thickness = 2 mm).
rene as a function of frequency (measured at 23 °C on both dry speci-
mens and on specimens conditioned to equilibrium moisture content
in a standard 23 / 50 atmosphere – ISO 291).
Polystyrene is a very good electrical insulator. The crystal-clear general-purpose Polystyrene grades have a light
transmission of about 90 % in the visible region (400-800 nm). The
The dependence of the dielectric constant and dissipation factor on absorption increases sharply in the UV region (Fig. 14).
the frequency can be seen from Fig. 13.
Further optical property data for general-purpose Polystyrene are
shown in Table 1.
nD – 1
nD* v=
nF – nC
1.59 31
*) Index of refraction and Abbe number measured in accordance with ISO 489 at 20 °C
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10
Permeability to gas and water vapor,
Water absorption of Polystyrene
Table 2 T ypical values for the permeability to water vapor and gases of Polystyrene, Styroblend WS and
Styrolux at 23 °C (measured on 100 µm thick films)
Water vapor1) Oxygen Nitrogen Carbon dioxide
g · m -2 · d -1 cm 3 · m -2 · d -1 · bar -1
General-purpose 12 1000 250 5200
Polystyrene
Impact-resistant 13 1600 400 10000
Polystyrene
Styrolux ® * 14 2600 700 15000
1)
DIN 53 122; moisture gradient from 85 % to 0 % relative atmospheric humidity.
* More about water vapor permeability of various plastics also see page 23.
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11
Resistance to chemicals and
Environmental stress cracking behavior
of Polystyrene
Detailed information on the resistance to chemicals is given in the Fig. 15 shows the behavior of high-impact Polystyrene specimens
Technical Information Bulletin “Polystyrene – resistance to chemicals”. produced under identical process conditions but exposed to different
media during the test.
Environmental stress cracking behavior The converse can be seen in Fig. 16, where the medium is the same
in all cases and the differences in the environmental stress cracking
Certain media may initiate cracking in Polystyrene moldings subjected behavior result from the different process conditions.
to external or internal mechanical stresses. Cracking may be induced
even by the agents that normally do not attack or hardly attack The environmental stress cracking resistance depends not only on
unstressed moldings. the type of product in question but also on its condition after process-
ing. If damage by environmental stress cracking is to be avoided, it is
therefore not sufficient to know the product properties but it is just as
important to monitor the quality of the moldings rigorously.
Tensile stress [MPa]
Tensile stress [MPa]
20
30
18
16 6 Higher orientation
5
14
4
20
12 Melt temperature °C
10 169
187
8 205
224
6 10 244
3 262
4 280
Low orientation
2
2
1
0 0
0.1 1.0 10 100 1000
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Fig. 15: Stress cracking test on high-impact Polystyrene at 20 °C in Fig. 16: Creep rupture curves of high-impact Polystyrene in olive
various media. Creep rupture curves for oil / oleic acid, 1:1. Determined on test specimens with different de-
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1. n-heptane 4. Battery acid grees of orientation. The higher the melt temperature, the lower the
2. Olive oil / oleic acid, 1:1 5. Distilled water degree of orientation.
3. Methanol 6. Air
12
Aging behavior of Polystyrene,
Resistance to high-energy radiation and
Microorganisms
Polystyrene is stabilized against the aging which can be brought about Polystyrene is immune to termites and is not a nutrient for micro-
by exposure to atmospheric oxygen at elevated temperatures. Indoors organisms. For this reason, any signs of attack can be attributed to
under normal light and temperature conditions, parts made of Poly- foreign substances which have collected on the surface.
styrene retain their appearance and their functionality for years.
103
For the above reasons, Polystyrene is not recommended for articles εR
which are used outdoors for a prolonged period. 1
c b
d
102 b a
a 2
Resistance to high-energy radiation a
b
f d d
1 e
The effect of high-energy radiation (fast electrons, protons, α particles, 10 e
neutrons, X- and γ-rays) on polystyrene depends on the radiation f
e
σR 2
dose, the dose rate, the irradiation temperature, the geometry of the
f
irradiated specimen and the surrounding medium. f
1
When atmospheric oxygen is excluded, general-purpose Polystyrene is
one of the most radiation-resistant plastics known. On irradiation in air,
the radiation dose which causes damage is substantially lower.
Fig. 17: Radiation dose at which the tensile strength σR or the elonga-
The radiation resistance of high-impact Polystyrene is significantly tion at break εR of polymers is reduced by 25 % under the radiation
below that of general-purpose Polystyrene. conditions indicated. (method of H. Fischer, K.-H. Hellwege and W.
Langbein)
The good radiation resistance of Polystyrene compared to other ther-
moplastics is demonstrated in Fig. 17. a) Styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer
b) General-purpose Polystyrene
c) Rigid PVC
d) Plasticized PVC
e) Branched polyethylene
f) Polypropylene
1) = Irradiation in vacuo at 500 Mrad / h
2) = Irradiation in air at 1 Mrad / h.
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13
High-gloss Polystyrene
PS 454 C 14
classic
100 high-gloss 4-7
Gloss
HIPS
90 classic high-gloss HIPS
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
80
MVI cm3/10
70
60 Fig. 19: Flowability
PS 454 C
50 (mold temperature
= 60 °C)
40
30 PS 454 C 15
20 PS 454 C classic
high-gloss 7-18
10
PS 495 F HIPS
0
200 210 220 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18
230 240 250 260
Melt temperature (°C) kJ/m2
14
Polystyrene grade with increased environmental
stress cracking resistance
Polystyrene ESCRimoTM
Polystyrene generally has only moderate resistance to certain
media which trigger environmental stress cracking. However,
Polystyrene ESCRimoTM has significantly better environmental stress
cracking resistance, as is shown very clearly in Fig. 21. For example,
refrigerator compartments and door linings made from this grade can
be backfoamed directly with polyurethane foam without the protec-
tion against foam blowing agents, e.g. cyclopentane, which is usually
required for high-impact polystyrene.
PS ESCRimo TM
versus 100
Cyclopentan
PS ESCRimo TM
versus HCFC 80
141b
0 20 40 60 80 100
[%]
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15
Mechanical properties of Styrolux®
0
0 10 20
Tensile strain [%]
Styrolux ® 3G 55, and GPPS measured by the ISO 527 tensile test.
16
Mechanical properties of Styrolux®
3300
The sharp reduction in tensile strain at break when GPPS content in
the blend is more than 40 % can be clearly seen. Blends with less
2800 than 20 % of Styrolux® show hardly any improvement in tensile strain
at break.
2300
684 D Tensile strain at break in the extrusion direction is generally relatively
low – a consequence of orientation of the rubber phase in Styrolux®.
1800 Lamellar morphology of Styrolux® in blends with GPPS parallel to the
3G 55 direction of extrusion reduces the amount of additional strain avail-
able on stretching in that direction. Depending on the Styrolux® grade,
1300 blends of from 30 to 70 % of Styrolux® with GPPS have proven suc-
cessful in most extrusion applications.
800
Impact strength of Styrolux® products
0 20 40 60 80 100
In circumstances contrasting with the relatively low deformation rate
GPPS content in Styrolux® [%]
in the tensile test high deformation rates subject the test specimens to
Fig. 23: Stiffness of Styrolux ® / GPPS blends; modulus of elasticity much more powerful fracture stresses. The Charpy (ISO 179) flexural
measured to ISO 527. impact test carried out on test specimens of the tougher Styrolux®
grades produces fractures only if the specimens have been previously
V-notched (ISO 179 / 1eA) (Tab. 4).
400
Tensile strain at break [%]
200
1750 25
Penetration energy e [Nm]
Force [N]
1500
HIPS Styrolux® 20
684 D
1250
15
1000
PS 143 E
750
10
PS 158 K
500
5
250
0 0
0 10 20 30 0 20 40 60 80 100
Displacement [mm] GPPS content in Styrolux® 693 D [%]
Fig. 25: ISO 6603-2 penetration test on disks (diameter 50 mm, Fig. 26: Penetration energy as a function of GPPS content to
thickness 1 mm) for Styrolux ® 684 D compared with high-impact ISO 6603-2; measured on 1 mm sheet.
polystyrene.
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18
Mechanical properties of Styrolux®
When comparison is made with conventional grades, such as The toughness and transparency properties of the sheet here gener-
Styrolux® 693 D, Styrolux® content in terms of the amount of SBS ally vary in opposite directions, so although sheet produced using
used can be reduced by up to a quarter in blends with GPPS, e.g. PS 165 H is tougher at the same blending ratio a slight loss of trans-
PS 158 K (see Fig. 27). These blends using Styrolux® 3G 55 are just parency has to be accepted.
as stiff as conventional blends. Styrolux® 3G 55 therefore helps to
reduce costs of finished parts made from Styrolux® / GPPS.
70 20
Tensile strain at break [%]
SBS [N]
60
-25% SBS 15
50
10
40
5
30
20 0
Styrolux 693 D
®
Styrolux 3G 55
®
158 K 145 D 143 E 165 H
Fig. 27: For comparable toughness: reduction in Styrolux ® content Fig. 28: Influence of polystyrene grade on toughness of sheet made
by up to 25 % using Styrolux ® 3G 55 (size of circles = measure of from Styrolux ® 693 D and GPPS (blending ratio 40 : 60); measured
toughness). to ISO 527.
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19
Optical properties of Styrolux®
Two physical variables describe transparency: light transmission and Blends made from Styrolux® and GPPS
haze. Transmission measures the intensity of light passing through a The transparency of blends made from Styrolux® and GPPS depends
test specimen after taking into account reflection losses at the two on the Styrolux® grade (see Table 6), the blending ratio, the GPPS
surfaces. Haze is the proportion of light scattered by more than 2.5 ° grade, and the homogeneity of the blend.
from the incident direction on passage through a test specimen.
Blending ratio
Guideline Trans- Haze Refractive The content of the two components has a particular effect on sheet
values mission index transparency. The approximately parabolic function (Fig. 30) has a
[%] [%] n D 23
minimum where the Styrolux® / GPPS blending ratio is about 40 : 60.
656 C 90 1.5 1.58
Other blends have increasing transparency. The relative position of the
3G 46 90 1.0 1.57
transmission values is determined by the GPPS grades used.
684 D 90 1.5 1.58
693 D 89 2 1.57
Haze values likewise follow an approximately parabolic curve with
3G 55 89 3 1.57
increasing content of Styrolux®, this time with a maximum at a 40 : 60
Tab. 6: Transmission, haze, and refractive indices of Styrolux ® to Styrolux® / GPPS blend.
ASTM D 1003; measured on plaques of thickness 2 mm.
Styrolux® 3G 46 can be mixed very well with standard polystyrene
(GPPS). The extremely high transparency and the extremely low haze
95
Transmission [%]
GPPS grades
Oil-free GPPS grades such as PS 158 K give the best transparency in
85 blends with Styrolux®. Although toughness increases with oil-contain-
PS 158K ing grades such as PS 143 E at the same blending ratio, transparency
PS 145D reduces. Blends made from Styrolux® and PS 145 D give the best
PS 143E compromise between high toughness and very good transparency.
80 PS 145 D gives higher flowability than PS 158 K and PS 143 E.
For identical blending ratios the sequence of increasing transparency
within the BASF product line is:
75
PS 165 H < 143 E < 145 D ≈ 158 K
0 20 40 60 80 100
Share of Styrolux® [%]
Homogeneity
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Fig. 30: Transmission of Styrolux ® 684 D as a function of GPPS Inhomogeneity reduces the transparency of Styrolux® / GPPS blends.
content and of GPPS grades; measured on sheet of thickness 1 mm Good mixing performance by the extruder is an important precondition
to ASTM D 1003. for the production of highquality sheet and high-transparency injection
moldings without flow streaks.
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20
Thermal and electrical properties of Styrolux®
Vicat A 50 [°C]
The heat distortion resistance of parts made from Styrolux® depends
on the manufacturing conditions and on the nature and duration of
PS 158 K
thermal stress to which the material is subjected. Table 5 shows
guideline heat resistance values for Styrolux® products under standard
100
test conditions.
21
Rheology,
Chemical resistance and
Stress cracking of Styrolux®
1 270 °C
102 40
101 20 250 °C
2
100 0
100 101 102 103 104 105 106 0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Shear rate [1/s] Extrusion time [min]
Fig. 31: Viscosity of Styrolux ® as a function of the shear rate at 200 °C. Fig. 32: Stability of Styrolux ® 684 D.
Styrolux® features good flow performance. Figure 31 shows an exam- Styrolux® is resistant to water, alkalis and dilute mineral acids, and
ple of dependency of melt viscosity on shear rate for the Styrolux® also to aqueous solutions of most salts. It is solvated or dissolved by
grades 3G 55 and 684 D. organic solvents, in particular chlorinated and aromatic hydrocarbons,
esters, ethers and ketones. Concentrated sulfuric acid and powerful
The recommended processing temperature range of 200 -240 °C oxidizing agents – such as nitric acid – also attack Styrolux®. If parts
should not be exceeded, otherwise crosslinking can occur, resulting made from Styrolux® come into contact with other fluids, resistance
in haze, streaking and gel formation. A specific stabilizer system gives should be tested.
Styrolux® excellent thermal stability and a very low fish-eye level.
22
Permeability, Organoleptic properties, Aging and
Sterilizability of Styrolux®
Organoleptic properties
0
Styrolux® has been used successfully for many years as a packaging
x®
A
A
6
PS
PP
OH
PE
T-
M
PV
olu
GP
HD
EV
PM
PE
yr
3000 Aging
Permeability (cm3 100 µm)/(m2d bar) 23°C/0% r.h.
500 Sterilizability
A
PS
6
PP
OH
PE
T-
M
PV
GP
HD
PM
EV
PE
yr
St
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23
General information
24
Injection unit and
Injection molding tools
25
Injection molding / Polystyrene
The melt temperature has a significant influence on the toughness of As a rule, Polystyrenes can be plastified uniformly and without thermal
the finished parts, particularly that of the rubber-modified Polystyrene degradation even at high screw speeds. Normally, the plastification
molding composition. capacity increases with a rise in temperature.
If the residence time of the melt in the barrel is relatively long, the Frequently, the individual heating zones of the plastification barrel can
temperature should not be in the upper end of the range or even be set to the same temperature. However, if the processing tempera-
above it, since otherwise thermal degradation and /or an increase in ture is in the upper end of the batch and /or if the cycle times are
the residual styrene content can result (Fig. 35). long, the temperature of the first heating strip (close to the hopper)
should be set at a somewhat lower value. This prevents premature
Thermal degradation can usually be recognized by silver streaks or melting of the granules in the feed section (bridging).
burn marks. A change in color can also occur. The melt temperature
is best monitored by means of a penetration thermometer on the
pumped-out composition.
Monostyrene [%]
1.0
0.8
Mean residence time 3 min
Mean residence time 10 min
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
200 220 240 260 280 300
Melt temperature [°C]
26
Injection molding / Polystyrene
1.06 0
It can be seen from this graph that the volume expansion caused by
heating from 20 °C to 200 °C is just compensated at a pressure of
1.04
200 1400 bar. If the melt solidifies at a point of higher pressure within the
1.02
400 mold cavity, the volume element concerned has to accommodate more
compound than it actually can. This state is known as overloading.
600
1.00 800
Overloading gives rise to molded-in stresses which may cause gen-
1000
0.98 eral-purpose Polystyrene moldings to rupture on demolding. The
1200
1400 impact-modified grades, on the other hand, can take up the stresses
0.96 1600 more readily because of their higher ductility. The risk of overloading
1800
0.94 2000 exists mainly in the vicinity of the sprue at high injection rates and
high follow-up pressures.
0.92
pressure p bar
0.90
0 50 100 150 200 250
Temperature [°C]
27
Injection molding / Polystyrene
158 K 486 M
300 300
Fig. 37: Flow in a spiral mold, general-purpose Polystyrene. Fig. 38: Flow in a spiral mold, high-impact Polystyrene.
Flow Shrinkage
The Polystyrene product line includes grades having different flow Polystyrene undergoes considerably less shrinkage than partially crys-
characteristics. The measure usually used for the flow is the melt vol- talline plastics. Although it is primarily a material property, it is also
ume index in accordance with ISO 1133. The product overview at the decisively influenced by the geometry of the moldings (restricted or
end of the brochure gives information about the flow behavior of the free shrinkage) and by processing conditions such as melt tempera-
individual Polystyrene grades. ture, mold surface temperature and follow-up pressure.
Information of great practical significance is obtained from flow tests Local interplay between these parameters may cause great differ-
in which coils of various thicknesses are produced in a spiral mold ences in shrinkage within one and the same molding.
(Figs. 37 and 38). At a given melt temperature, mold surface tempera-
ture, screw advance rate and the corresponding injection pressure, the As a rule, the processing shrinkage is between 0.4 and 0.7 %, but in
length of the spiral can be regarded as a measure of the flow of the exceptional cases it can be significantly below 0.4 %. It may even be
product. zero in zones within the molding that are subjected to a high follow-up
pressure (vicinity of the sprue).
Cycle time
A factor that decidedly affects the duration of the injection cycle is After-shrinkage can be neglected in most applications; it accounts for
the time taken for the Polystyrene to cool from the melt temperature about 10 % of total shrinkage.
to the solidification point. The lower this temperature difference, the
shorter the cooling time and thus usually also the cycle time. The dif-
ference between melt temperature and solidification point depends on
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The higher the flow of Polystyrene, the lower the temperature at which
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28
Injection molding / Styrolux®
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29
Injection molding / Styrolux®
De-molding The temperature of the tool surface and the injection speed are less
Owing to its morphology, Styrolux® adheres more strongly to steel decisive for the shrinkage.
surfaces than high-impact polystyrene does. Therefore, it requires a
greater force in order to overcome the static friction during the first Compressibility and warpage
phase of de-molding. It is helpful to select a high injection pressure Styrolux® is considerably more compressible than high-impact poly-
and back pressure. Due to the high compressibility of Styrolux®, the styrene. This is why centrally gated rectangular parts can exhibit larger
part is slightly compressed. Following pressure relief, the part relaxes internal stress differences between the shortest and the longest flow
and is easier to release from the core. Excessive injection pressure distances. In conjunction with the lower dimensional stability, the
and back pressure cause greater deformations in the part. A possible molded parts can undergo warpage even hours after the de-molding.
consequence after the pressure relief is that the part could become Since there is a direct relationship between the warpage and the
jammed in the mold cavity. This should be optimized by means of modulus of elasticity, a Styrolux® grade with a high modulus of elastic-
experimentation. ity should be selected for parts where low warpage is critical.
1200 1.0
Length [mm]
Wall thickness of
flow spiral: 2 mm far away from the gate/
1000 transverse
0.8
656 C near the gate/
800 transverse
684 D
0.6
600 656 C
684 D 0.4
near the gate/
400 parallel
Wall thickness of
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0 0
0 230 250 0 20 40 60 80 100
Copyright 2007
Fig. 39: Flowability of Styrolux® in the spiral flow test, injection pres- Fig. 40: Shrinkage of Styrolux® 656 C.
sure of 1500 bar.
30
Extrusion / Polystyrene
If Polystyrene 143 E is already being used for the extrusion of The bursting pressure test on finished, thermoformed cups gives a
high-gloss composites, it can also be blended with 486 M to good guide to the toughness of the material used. The bursting index
reduce inventories. as a function of the mixing ratio is shown for two examples of blends
in Fig. 41. This demonstrates the advantage of the higher impact
On the other hand, Polystyrene 158 K could be considered for toughness of 486 M in blends with 165 H compared to mixtures of
blending with 486 M if the heat distortion resistance of the mixture 165 H and conventional high-impact polystyrene.
is to be increased at the same time. The mixing ratio depends on
the application and is usually between 1:1 and 4 :1 (= PS-I : PS).
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31
Extrusion / Polystyrene
The “classicial” vented extruder screw can be likened to two three- In principle, Polystyrene can also be extruded without the use of a
zone screws arranged in tandem (Fig. 42). The length of modern vent- vented extruder. In this case, the granules should be predried, depend-
ed extruders is in the range 30 - 36 D. The compression ratio should ing on the Vicat softening temperature of the Polystyrene used, at
generally be between 1: 2 and 1: 2.5 for Polystyrene. temperatures of 60 - 70 °C for 3 - 4 hours, e.g. in a hot air drier or a
vacuum drying oven.
Compression ratios of 1: 3 can also be employed when processing up
to 50 % of regrind. It has been found in practise that predried granules cause fewer pro-
duction and quality problems in the long term, although films which
Venting occurs between the two screw sections; substances are col- have been produced without the use of a vented extruder have inferior
lected in the form of liquids or pastes in the condenser between the organoleptic characteristics.
venting port and the vacuum pump. The venting effect is initiated by
the pressure drop that occurs downstream of the first metering section
and is reinforced by a partial pressure increase that is brought about
by raising the melt temperature in front of the venting section.
Compres- Compres-
Metering 2 sion 2 Venting Metering 1 sion 1 Feed
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Extrusion / Polystyrene
Surging
Flooding
BASF Aktiengesellschaft
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Extrusion / Polystyrene
The percentage of melt and the dimensionless solids bed width Y are Fig. 45 shows the effect of a higher pitch in the second screw section
calculated by means of the simulation program. Y is defined as the on the pressure profile under otherwise identical conditions (same
solids bed width X divided by the channel width b (based on the solids throughput). In this example, the increase in pitch can prevent flooding
channel in the case of barrier screws). Fig. 44 shows an example of a of the vent.
calculated melting profile.
A further possible design of vented extruder screws incorporates bar-
The melting profile enables predictions to be made as to the ratio of rier zones in the first screw section so as to ensure complete melting
transport and melting capacity of the screw and also makes possible a by the end of the first screw section.
qualitative estimate of the achievable homogeneity of the melt in front
of the screw.
Pressure
x
b
0 0
BASF Aktiengesellschaft
Fig. 44: Examples of a calculated melting profile (material: PS 486 M). Fig. 45 Effect of pitch on the pressure profile (material: PS 486 M).
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Extrusion / Polystyrene
Barrier section
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Extrusion / Polystyrene
Fig. 48: Sheet die with choker bar and flex-lip. BASF Aktiengesellschaft
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Extrusion / Polystyrene
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Blow molding, Thermoforming and further
processing methods of Polystyrene
80 Partially crystalline
PS-I 700
HDPE HDPE
70
ABS 600
PP
60
500 PP
50
400 amorphous
40 ABS
300 SB
30 PS
PVC
20 200
10 100
0 0
100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 20 50 100 150 200
BASF Aktiengesellschaft
Fig. 49: AGK 5 hot elongation; load = 2 g / mm2, Fig. 50: Heat capacity of thermoplastics (reference point: 20 °C).
heating rate = 50 °C / h.
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Machining
Owing to the low thermal conductivity and the relatively low softening
temperature, the cutting surfaces have to be cooled by a current of air
or with water. The high-impact Polystyrenes have a lower tendency to
splinter and can be machined more easily.
Joining methods
Welding
Preference is given to ultrasonic welding.
Adhesive bonding
Polystyrene parts can be bonded together with the aid of solvents
such as toluene or methylene chloride, but only to parts made of
the same material. We recommend that all questions regarding
adhesive bonding be directed to a commercial adhesives manu-
facturer.
Surface treatment
Printing, surface coating
Polystyrene can be easily and durably coated and printed by various
techniques.
We recommend that manufacturers of surface coatings or printing
inks be consulted in individual cases.
Metallizing
Polystyrene articles can be provided with a mirror-like, metallic
surface by high-vacuum metallizing.
BASF Aktiengesellschaft
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Extrusion / Styrolux®
Vented extruders are recommended for the production of high-quality zone 3 to 5 190 - 200 °C
packaging films. They permit the extraction of volatile components and [374 ° F to 392 ° F]
moisture from the melt as well as the removal of entrapped air. adapter 195 - 210 °C
[374 ° F to 392 ° F]
die 210 - 230 °C
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Extrusion / Styrolux®
the de-stacking properties or that have an antiblocking effect. In this stable molded parts without warpage. The assisting plunger and the
case, the carrier material for the cap layer can be the same as that of top plunger should be made of syntactic foam, polysulfone or PTFE in
the core layer, or else it can have a different composition. order to avoid markings on the inner wall of the molded part.
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Extrusion / Styrolux®
The dies should be configured in such a way that they do not have Styrolux® belongs to the group of particularly processing-stable
large melt volumes or dead spots. The cross section of the channel styrene plastics and can be processed several times with general-
BASF Aktiengesellschaft
tapers towards the die gap. purpose polystyrene (GPPS) as well as with high-impact polystyrene
(HIPS).
When used articles such as, for instance, disposable packaging, are
recycled, Styrolux® can be admixed to the melt stream of polystyrene
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Safety precautions during processing,
Food Contact Applications and Medical Devices
and Pharmaceutical Applications
When Polystyrene and Styrolux® are injection molded, thermoformed The BASF manufactures high-quality styrene polymers that meet the
or extruded, small amounts of monostyrene and other degradation various requirements of its customers. BASF provides its customers
products are given off into the surrounding air; the actual amounts with competent assistance and works together with them to obtain
depend on the processing conditions. innovative results.
Inhalation of relatively high concentrations of styrene can, like other However, BASF has not designed or tested its plastics with respect to
organic solvents, have a reversible effect on the nervous system (tired- all of the special requirements related to their use in medical devices
ness, loss of concentration, etc.). Such effects are not to be expected and pharmaceutical applications.
if the workplace concentrations are below the prescribed threshold
limit value of 20 ml / m3 (ppm) (cf. TRGS 900). In particular, BASF does not supply any of these plastics for the manu-
facture of implants or for applications that fall under Risk Class III
In our experience, the styrene concentration will not exceed 1 ml / m3 according to the Medical Device legislation.
(ppm) if the workplace is well ventilated and extracted (e.g. 5 to 8 air
changes per hour). Subject to an evaluation and a release in each individual case BASF is
prepared to supply plastics for medical applications within Risk Class I
A review of emissions of volatile compounds in the processing of or for pharmaceutical applications such as solid dosage forms for oral
thermoplastics may be found in M. J. Forrest et al., Ann. occup. Hyg. applications.
Vol. 39, No. 1, 35-53 (1995).
Provided an agreement can be reached which takes into account the
The possibility of a carcinogenic effect of styrene has been addressed circumstances of each individual case and a disclaimer is accepted by
in a recently published assessment by leading members of the Ger- the customer BASF is prepared to supply plastics for individual medi-
man Commission on Maximum Workplace Concentrations. They pro- cal applications within Risk Class II (with the exception of implants)
pose classifying styrene in a new category: “Substances which have including packaging of parenteral and ophthalmic products as well as
a carcinogenic and genotoxic action but whose action is considered inhalers.
to be so weak that no appreciable contribution to the cancer risk for
human beings is to be expected if the maximum workplace concentra- Customers themselves must make all decisions, exclusively on their
tion (20 ppm for styrene) is adhered to”. own responsibility, about employing BASF plastics in any particular
medical or pharmaceutical application. All manufacturers of medical
(Published in: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. MAK- und BAT- devices or products intended for pharmaceutical applications must
Werte-Liste 1998; Senatskommission zur Prüfung gesundheitsschäd- decide on their own responsibility whether the medical device or
licher Arbeitsstoffe; Bulletin 34; Wiley-VCH; p. 121). pharmaceutical product manufactured using BASF plastics is safe,
lawful and technically suitable for the intended use. Therefore BASF
makes no warranties, express or implied, concerning the suitability of
Food Contact Applications any BASF plastics for use in any medical device and pharmaceutical
applications.
The composition of the standard grades of the polystyrene and
Styrolux® product lines complies with the currently valid legislation in If you are planning such a use in medical applications, please inform
Europe and in the United States pertaining to plastics that come into BASF to this effect at styrenics.infopoint@basf.com.
contact with food. Furthermore, these products are in compliance with
the requirements set forth in the recommendations of the German
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Recycling
BASF Aktiengesellschaft
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Nomenclature
Colors
Forms supplied and storage
Each Polystyrene grade is designated by three digits and a letter: Polystyrene and Styrolux® are supplied exclusively in undyed form.
These products can be dyed so as to be transparent or opaque.
1st digit (Colorflexx® program). Color batches or color concentrates on the basis
Polystyrene class of Styrolux® or polystyrene can be employed for this purpose. When
1 = general-purpose Polystyrene colorants based on a different polymer are used, it is necessary to
4 = high-impact Polystyrene check whether transparency and brilliance are retained.
6 = Styrolux®
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Overview of products