Gamma irradiation effects on impact strength and thermal properties of SBR-toughened polystyrene

Effects of chemical structure, composition, thermal stability and molecular weights of the rubber phase in amorphous polystyrene + styrene/butacliene rubber (SBR) blends on impact behavior were investigated. Blends with 5, 10 and 13 wt. % of SBR embedded into a rigid polystyrene matrix were prepared as well as the samples without SBR. For all blends the Izod impact tests were performed and those with the best impact strength values were submitted to gamma irradiation. The Izod impact tests of the irradiated samples were then performed. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) runs were made for both irradiated and not-irradiated blends. Blends compositions with the highest impact energies have been defined. Gamma irradiation initially enhances the impact energies but then reaches a maximum around 150 kGy above which the impact strength eventually becomes lower than in the samples not subjected to irradiation.