Compatibility and Thermal Properties of Maleic Anhydride-grafted-Polystyrene Containing Microcrystal cellulose (Avicel) as Raw Material for Soil Binder

Abstract

Polymeric resins have been utilized widely as soil or dust binders in building and road construction industries. In this work maleic anhydride (MA) was grafted into polystyrene (PS) resins in a bench-scale xylene reflux reactor in the presence of benzoyl peroxide (BPO) to improve their adhesion properties, whereas the grafting efficiency was characterized using FTIR spectroscopy. Further processings were then carried out with addition of varied loading of microcrystal cellulose (Avicel), 1-5%, to improve their mechanical and thermal properties. It was found that addition of Avicel into the MA-g-PS resins up to 4% improved tensile strength and Young's modulus. The presence of BPO may initiate chain scission of the MA-g-PS resins, which decreased the melting temperature as well as heat of combustion. Morphological analysis of surface of the resin specimens using electron microscopy (SEM) indicated rougher surface when BPO and Avicel were added in the resins. It was expected that binding of MA-g-PS/Avicel resins onto surface of sand and soil aggregates will be higher.