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3765357 
Journal Article 
Novel synthesis of crystalline polystyrene nanoparticles (nPS) by monomer atomization in microemulsion and their effect on thermal, rheological, and mechanical properties of polypropylene (PP) 
Chatterjee, A; Mishra, S 
2012 
1 
Macromolecular Research
ISSN: 1598-5032 
POLYMER SOC KOREA 
SEOUL 
20 
8 
780-788 
WOS:000307765700002 
The present paper relates to the atomized process for synthesis of polystyrene nanoparticles (nPS) between 10 to 100 nm with a controlled particle size. The effect of the initiator's [ammonium persulfate (APS) and a combination of ascorbic acid/hydrogen peroxide (Ac/H2O2)] concentration on particle size and morphology of nPS have been reported in this work. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis showed that as the wt% of the initiator increased, the particle morphology changed from a spherical shape to a hexagonal shape. The effect of the particle size on crystallinity (X (c) ) and glass transition temperature (T (g) ) were also reported. alpha and beta crystal structures of nPS were compared with bulk PS by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) study showed that nPS have higher T (g) compared to bulk PS. Isolated nPS were blended on Brabender in 0.10%, 0.20%, 0.25%, 0.30%, 0.40%, and 0.5% by weight respectively with polypropylene (PP) by melt process. Sharp increments in DSC peaks as well as thermal stability in thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were observed up to a 0.25 wt% addition of nPS. The effect of nPS on rheological, thermal, and mechanical properties of PP was studied in comparison to a pristine PP and these improvements were due to a close packing of PP chains as recorded by the improvement in the crystallinity of the PP with the addition of the nPS (0.25 wt%) as shown by SEM. 
microemulsion; polystyrene nanoparticles; nano blends