Improvements in the production of shaped articles and filling materials of porous styrene polymers

摘要

Shaped articles of porous styrene polymers are made by coating a porous styrene polymer with a polyglycidyl ether of an epihalohydrin and a polyhydroxy compound (see Group IV (a)) and a hardening agent therefor. Specified styrene polymers are polystyrene and copolymers of styrene with other mono- or di-vinyl compounds. The coating may be by dipping, brushing or spraying, or by coating the inner surface of the mould in which the styrene polymer is to be expanded. In Example 2 a rectangular plate of porous polystyrene is coated with a butane-triol/epichlorhydrin resin containing p,p1-diaminodiphenylmethane as hardener.ALSO:Shaped articles and filling materials of porous styrene polymers are made either by joining together particles (having a minimum particle size of about 0.5 mm.) of a porous styrene polymer with the aid of a polyglycidyl ether of an epihalohydrin and a polyhydroxy compound and a hardening agent therefor, or by coating a porous styrene polymer shaped article or filling material with such a compound. Specified styrene polymers are polystyrene and copolymers of styrene with other mono- or divinyl compounds. Specified blowing agents are sodium carbonate, azo-compounds, and volatile organic compounds, e.g. saturated hydrocarbons of b.p. 30-70 DEG C. which do not dissolve polystyrene. Specified polyhydroxy compounds are glycol, butanediols, butanetriols, glycerine, trimethylolpropane, hexanediol, pentaerythritol, hydroquinone, resorcinol, 4,41-dihydroxydiphenyl dimethyl methane or the sulphone or oxide thereof. The epoxy resins may be modified by monohydric alcohols (e.g. allyl), hardened by polybasic acids (e.g. phthalic, succinic, adipic) or amines (e.g. ethylenediamine, hexamethylenediamine, diethylenediamine, triethylenetetramine, cyclohexylamine, diaminocyclohexane, p,p1 - diaminodiphenylurea, N-cyclohexylpropylenediamine, p,p1 - diaminodiphenylmethane), and catalysed by FriedelCrafts' catalysts (e.g. aluminium chloride). Hollow spaces in boats &c. may be filled, and lifebelts, floats, plates and insulating sheets made, with these materials. In Example (I) spherical particles of porous polystyrene are mixed with an ethylene glycol/epichlorhydrin polymer and N-cyclohexylpropylene diamine, and the mixture used to insulate and give good buoyancy to the lateral walls of boats. In Example (II) a plate of porous polystyrene is coated with a butanetriol-epichlorhydrin resin containing p,p1 - diaminodiphenylmethane as hardener.