NAME STUDENT ID FARHAN DHANIAL BIN MD ZAID 2022818846 MUHAMMAD HAZIQ BIN ZULKIFLI 2022828062 MUHAMAD HAIKAL BIN ISMAIL 2022836196
CLASS: AS2225A LECTURE NAME: SYUHADA BINTI MOHD TAHIR Objective • To synthesize polystyrene via free-radical polymerization. • To examine the physical properties of the polymer.
Jotter: Result:
Horizontal Vertical DISCUSSION Weight of polystyrene obtained: 3.9g Polystyrene is a low-density, amorphous, colourless to white solid. It has poor tensile strength and brittle, stiff mechanical characteristics. It is clear to translucent. It has a low melting point, low conductivity, and a low glass transition temperature. It is a good electrical insulator. It dissolves in several organic solvents but not in water.
Despite coming from the same polymer, solvent-cast polystyrene film and bulk polystyrene have different looks. In general, bulk polystyrene is a solid, stiff substance that can be coloured or clear. In general, the surface is shiny and smooth. But solvent-cast polystyrene film is a thin, pliable roll or sheet. Its surface, which is usually smooth and glossy, may show minor variances because of the casting process, and it can be coloured or translucent. In comparison to bulk polystyrene, solvent-cast films are essentially thinner, more flexible, and may have a somewhat different surface roughness.
The structure of solvent-cast polystyrene film differs from bulk polystyrene primarily due to their processing methods. Solvent-cast films are created by dissolving polystyrene in a solvent, casting it onto a surface, and allowing the solvent to evaporate, leading to a thinner, more flexible material with molecular chains oriented parallel to the surface. This results in a film that may exhibit surface roughness and microvoids, potentially lowering its mechanical strength compared to bulk polystyrene, which is polymerized through heat and pressure, producing a denser, more crystalline, and rigid structure. The bulk material has a more random molecular arrangement and greater mechanical strength, with a uniform and crystalline internal structure, making it more durable than the film. In terms of optical properties, both forms are typically clear, but the film may have slightly reduced transparency due to residual solvent or roughness. Regarding nylon, under optical microscopy, nylon thread appears as elongated, smooth filaments, often with slight twists, while nylon film shows a more uniform surface with possible crystalline or amorphous regions depending on processing conditions. Molecular weight of styrene, Mi = 104.15 gmol-1 Weight of polystyrene = 3.9 g Mol of polystyrene = 3.9/104.15 = 0.03745 Mw of polystyrene = 0.03745 × 3.9 = 104.15 gmol-1 The molecular weight of polystyrene that we got is approximately the same as the monomer, styrene. This shows that the polystyrene has not undergone significant polymerization to form a high-molecular-weight polymer.
CONCLUSION In conclusion, we learned that reacting benzoyl peroxide with styrene will make it into polystyrene. The molecular weight of the synthesized polystyrene was calculated to be about 104.15 g/mol, which is the molecular weight of a single styrene monomer, and therefore it can be said that an incomplete polymerization or small extension of polymerization occurred.
QUESTION 1. Draw the structure of benzoyl peroxide and show how benzoyl peroxide decomposes to form two radicals. 2. Write the overall initiation step of the polymerization of styrene i)head-tail
ii) tail-tail
iii) head-head 3. d) Write the termination step of the reaction via: i)chain coupling
ii) disproportionation
iii) chain transfer to another polymer
REFERENCES 1. Zhuang, W., Yao, L., Yang, S., & Zhang, L. (2021). Free radical polymerization of styrene: Influence of temperature and initiator on the molecular weight distribution. Journal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer Chemistry, 59(12), 1006-1015. https://doi.org/10.1002/pola.31161 2. Liu, X., Zhao, X., Yu, H., & Xu, Y. (2020). Reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) and free radical polymerization of styrene: Mechanisms and applications. Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics, 221(18), 2000102. https://doi.org/10.1002/macp.202000102 3. Li, W., Zhang, Z., & Lin, H. (2021). Recent advances in free radical polymerization of styrene in aqueous systems. European Polymer Journal, 136, 109945. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2020.109945
