Synthesis and properties of high oil-absorptive network polymer 4-tert-Butylstyrene-SBR-divinylbenzene

4-tert-Butylstyrene-SBR-divinylbenzene (PBSD) was prepared by the graft crosslinking polymerization of 4-tert-butylstyrene (tBS) and divinylbenzene (DVB) onto unvulcanized SBR in the solution process using BPO as an initiator. The effects of reaction conditions, such as, solvent amount, SBR content, mol ratio of DVB to tBS, initiator concentration, reaction temperature, and reaction time on conversion, grafting efficiency, and gel fraction were examined. In present reaction system, a solvent amount 15.0 mL/g is the threshold of the gelation process. The oil absorbency was evaluated by the ASTM (F726-81) method. The swelling rates, light resistance, and tensile strength of PBSD were investigated. It was found that the tensile strength is considerably better than that of 4-tert-butylstyrene-EPDM-divinylbenzene polymer (PBED). The highest oil absorbency of crosslinked PBSD was 57.76 g/g, and the largest swelling kinetic constant was 102.09 x 10(-2) h(-1). (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.