Polar Polystyrene Copolymers for Enhanced Foaming

Abstract

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.

1 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A polystyrene composition comprising:
 a styrenic co-polymer resulting from polymerization of a reaction mixture comprising a styrenic monomer and polyvinyl acetate; and   a blowing agent.   
     
     
         23 . The foamable polystyrene composition of  claim 22 , wherein the blowing agent comprises CO 2 . 
     
     
         24 . The foamable polystyrene composition of  claim 22 , wherein the blowing agent is present in the styrenic co-polymer in a weight proportion ranging from 1 to 30 parts per 100 parts of styrenic material. 
     
     
         25 . The foamable polystyrene composition of  claim 22 , wherein the polyvinyl acetate is present in an amount ranging from 0.5 to 20 wt % of the styrenic co-polymer. 
     
     
         26 . A polystyrene foam obtained from the foamable polystyrene composition of  claim 22 . 
     
     
         27 . An article made from the polystyrene foam of  claim 26 . 
     
     
         28 . A method comprising:
 combining a styrene monomer and polyvinyl acetate to obtain a reaction mixture subjecting the reaction mixture to polymerization conditions to obtain a styrenic co-polymer; and   combining the styrenic co-polymer with a blowing agent to obtain a foamable blend.