Page 87 - Abstract book - TJSSF-2020

Thailand – Japan Student Science Fair 2020 (TJ-SSF 2020)
“Seeding Innovations through Fostering Thailand – Japan Youth Friendship”

Degradable time reduction of impact resistant material from recycled
polystyrene foam

Phanthira Phumpour , Waritsara Srinuaneiad
1
1
Advisor: Panita Sumanatrakul
2

Paphayomphittayakom School
1
Thaksin University
2

Abstract

The aims of this research were to study the effect and mechanical properties of mixing recycled
polystyrene foam with latex compound to form an impact resistant application and reduce the
degradation time of the material. The characterizations for the mechanical properties of the impact
resistant material were tensile strength, elongation at break, modulus, specific gravity, hardness,
weathering resistance and thermal degradation. The morphologies and functional groups of the mixture
were investigated and also compared to the original polystyrene foam. The results found that the
appearance of the mixture was semi-hard and its specific gravity was less than the original latex
compound and original polystyrene foam. Hence, its weight was very light. The tensile strength and
elongation at break slightly reduced when the amount of recycled polystyrene foam was increased.
When recycled polystyrene foam was added to the mix, 300% modulus and the hardness of the impact
resistant application increased. Herein, the mixture obtained a lower thermal degradation temperature
than the original polystyrene foam. In addition, morphologies before and after a weathering test found
that increasing the amount of recycled polystyrene foam affected the increasing porosity and fracture
at the surface of the specimen, respectively. Furthermore, the weathering of recycled polystyrene foam
resulted in the formation of carbonyl groups in the regions of 1500–1800 cm and hydroxyl at 3000–
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3800 cm in the FTIR spectra, as well as high carbonyl index (CI) and hydroxyl index (HI). Therefore,
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there was a greater degree of degradation. It can be concluded that the mixture of recycled polystyrene
foam and latex compound resulted in optimum mechanical properties to form an impact resistant
material. Moreover, adding recycled polystyrene foam with latex compound can also decrease the
degradation time of the material.

Keywords : degrade, impact resistance material, latex compound, polystyrene foam, recycle

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