Microwave heatable monovinyl aromatic polymers
A method for melt-processing a polymer of a monovinyl aromatic compound, such as styrene, is disclosed. The method may include heating a polymer of a monovinyl aromatic compound volumetrically with microwave energy, wherein the polymer of a monovinyl aromatic compound includes: a discontinuous rubber phase; and a continuous poly(monovinyl aromatic) phase comprising up to 49 weight percent of at least one of an acrylate comonomer and a vinyl cyanide comonomer.
1. A method for melt-processing a polymer of a monovinyl aromatic compound, the method comprising:
heating a polymer of a monovinyl aromatic compound volumetrically with microwave energy, wherein the polymer of a monovinyl aromatic compound comprises:
a discontinuous rubber phase; and
a continuous poly(monovinyl aromatic) phase comprising up to 49 weight percent of at least one of an acrylate comonomer and a vinyl cyanide comonomer.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monovinyl aromatic compound comprises at least one of styrene, alphamethylstyrene, ethylstyrene, vinyl benzene, and vinyl toluene.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the discontinuous rubber phase comprises at least one of a butadiene rubber and a styrene-butadiene copolymer.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the acrylate comonomer comprises at least one of methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, isobutyl acrylate, n-butyl acrylate, and methyl methacrylate.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the vinyl cyanide comonomer comprises at least one of acrylonitrile and methacrylonitrile.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monovinyl aromatic compound comprises styrene and the acrylate comonomer comprises a butyl acrylate.
7. The method of claim 1 , the polymer further comprising at least one of mineral oil and polyisobutylene.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising disposing the polymer of a monovinyl aromatic compound as a layer in a multi-layered composite having one or more layers non-receptive to microwave energy.
9. A method for melt-processing a high impact polystyrene, the method comprising:
heating a high impact polystyrene volumetrically with microwave energy, wherein the high impact polystyrene comprises:
a discontinuous rubber phase; and
a continuous styrene phase comprising up to 49 weight percent of at least one of an acrylate comonomer and a vinyl cyanide comonomer.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the discontinuous rubber phase comprises at least one of polybutadiene and styrene-butadiene copolymers.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the high impact polystyrene further comprises at least one of polybutene, olefinic synthetic oil, and mineral oil.
12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the heating comprises passing the high impact polystyrene through a microwave energy field.
13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the high impact polystyrene heated is initially in the form of at least one of a sheet, a pre-cut sheet, a blank, a molded blank, and a puck.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the polystyrene heated has a thickness in the range from about 0.01 mm to about 50 cm.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the sheet has a width of at least 51 cm (2 feet).
16. The method of claim 9 , further comprising disposing the high impact polystyrene as a layer in a multi-layered composite having one or more layers non-receptive to microwave energy.
17. A method for manufacturing an article, the method comprising:
heating a high impact polystyrene volumetrically with microwave energy, wherein the high impact polystyrene comprises:
a discontinuous rubber phase; and
a continuous styrene phase comprising up to 49 weight percent of at least one of an acrylate comonomer and a vinyl cyanide comonomer; and
processing the heated high impact polystyrene to form the article.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the processing comprises at least one of mixing, transferring, shaping, stamping, injecting, forming, molding, and extruding.
19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the processing comprises thermoforming.
20. The method of claim 17 , further comprising disposing the high impact polystyrene as a layer in a multi-layered composite having one or more layers non-receptive to microwave energy.