Fina Technology, Inc.

Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP

Wei Wang

David W Knoeppel

Jose M Sosa

Fengkui Li

Madison Bluhm

Melissa Greenberg

Maruti Bhandarkar

Stephen L Kelly

William Donald Treleaven

David K Knoeppel

A styrenic composition including a polar modified styrenic co-polymer resulting from the polymerization of a combined mixture of at least one styrenic monomer and at least one comonomer and a biodegradable component is disclosed. The at least one comonomer includes a polar functional group and the polar modified styrenic co-polymer and the biodegradable component are combined to obtain a styrenic composition having a biodegradable component. Also disclosed is a method of enhancing bio-polymer miscibility in a styrenic based polymer. The polarity of a blend is manipulated by combining a styrenic monomer and a polar co-monomer to form a combined mixture and subjecting the combined mixture to polymerization to obtain a styrenic polymer blend to which a bio-polymer is added.

Polarity manipulation in polystyrene for enhanced bio-polymer miscibility

Provided herein are methods of inhibiting polymerization of vinyl aromatic monomers. The methods include distilling a vinyl aromatic monomer in a distillation column to form a vinyl aromatic monomer distillate; removing the vinyl aromatic monomer distillate from the distillation column; combining the vinyl aromatic monomer distillate with 4-tert-butylcatechol (TBC) to form a treated distillate; and adding a reflux liquid that includes the treated distillate to the distillation column liquid of the distillation column. An added oxygen gas may be present in a distillation column liquid in an amount of at least 1 ppmw, based on the weight of the vinyl aromatic monomer.

Methods of inhibiting polymerization of vinyl aromatic monomers

A method of making a foamable polystyrene composition includes combining a styrenic monomer and a co-monomer containing a polar functional group to obtain a mixture, subjecting the mixture to polymerization to obtain a styrenic co-polymer, and combining the styrenic co-polymer with a blowing agent in a foaming process to obtain foamed articles.

Polar polystyrene copolymers for enhanced foaming

Foamable polystyrene compositions with enhanced blowing agent solubility and methods of making such polystyrene compositions by incorporating a polar additive in styrenic polymer or copolymers.

Use of polar additives for enhancing blowing agent solubility in polystyrene

Polystyrene blends and methods of making polystyrene blends including combining a styrene monomer and an epoxy-functional comonomer to form a combined mixture, subjecting the combined mixture to polymerization to obtain a polystyrene copolymer and combining the polystyrene copolymer with a biodegradable polymer to obtain a polystyrene blend.

Epoxy functional polystyrene for enhanced PLA miscibility

The method includes providing a high impact polystyrene (HIPS) reaction system, wherein the HIPS reaction system has a devolitalizer downstream of a reactor and injecting a retarding agent into the HIPS reaction system prior to the devolitalizer.

Crosslinking control in high impact polystyrene manufacturing process

A method of making a styrenic composition having a high melt strength including combining a styrenic monomer and a second monomer to form a combined mixture and subjecting the combined mixture to polymerization to obtain a styrenic co-polymer, wherein the second monomer comprises a hydroxyl functional group and wherein the styrenic composition has a greater melt strength than that of general purpose polystyrene.

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League City, TX, United States of America

Wei Wang