IMPACT STRENGTH IMPROVEMENT OF POLYSTYRENE BY DISPERSION OF RIGID PARTICULATE

We have discovered that the impact strength of polystyrene is increase d by the addition of rigid particles several microns in diameter and a t concentrations of 0.01 similar to 1 wt%. As examples, we used barium sulfate particles and crosslinked polystyrene beads. From the observa tion of real-time deformation of polystyrene incorporating the rigid p articles, and from finite element analysis, it is clear that the impac t improvement mechanism is related to the formation of voids or peelin g layers, and successive extension of crazes from the voids or peeling layers.