Abstracto

Optimisation of Clay and Rubber Content in Polystyrene Based Nanocomposite

Akhilesh Prabhakar, Praseetha P Nair, K E George

Polystyrene based nanocomposite was prepared by adding Kaolinite clay and polybutadiene rubber to polystyrene, by using insitu polymerisation technique. The nanocomposite so formed were characterised by TGA and DSC analyses. The study shows that thermal stability of polystyrene can be improved by the addition of nanoclay. When nanoclay is added, a high performance high impact polystyrene can be prepared by addition of a lower amount of PB than the PB content in commercial supply. The optimum composition of clay and rubber content was determined using response surface method in Minitab