The concept of anionic polymerization was first developed by Ziegler and Schlenk in early 1910. Their pioneering work on the polymerization of diene initiated with sodium metal set the stage for the use of alkali metal containing aromatic hydrocarbon complexes as initiators for various α-olefins. In 1939, Scott and coworkers used for the first time the alkali metal complexes of aromatic hydroca...

The transformation of indole to indigo by microorganisms expressing styrene monooxygenase (SMO) has been studied. Styrene and indole are structurally very similar, and thus we looked at a variety of styrene-degrading strains for indole transformation to indigo. Two strains, Pseudomonas putida S12 and CA-3, gave a blue color on solid media when grown in the presence of indole. Indole induces its...

Here, we conducted in vitro genotoxicity tests to evaluate the genotoxicity of styrene oligomers extracted from polystyrene intended for use in contact with food. Styrene oligomers were extracted with acetone and the extract was subjected to the Ames test (OECD test guideline No. 471) and the in vitro chromosomal aberration test (OECD test guideline No. 473) under good laboratory practice condi...

The room-temperature (RT) adsorption and surface reactions of styrene on Si(100)2x1 have been investigated by thermal desorption spectrometry, low-energy electron diffraction, and Auger electron spectroscopy. Styrene is found to adsorb on Si(100)2x1 at a saturation coverage of 0.5 monolayer, which appears to have little effect on the 2x1 reconstructed surface. The chemisorption of styrene on th...

Styrene (ethylbenzene) is widely used as a solvent in many industrial setting. Occupational exposure to ST can result in pulmonary toxicity. For better understanding of the mechanism by which styrene caused lung injury, this study was undertaken to investigate the effect of styrene on rat respiratory epithelial cells. The role of vitamin C (Vit C) on styrene induced toxicity was also investigat...

Styrene is widely used in the production of various plastics, synthetic rubber and resins. The aim of this study was to evaluate if individual polymorphisms in xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes, related with the metabolic fate of styrene, could modify individual susceptibility to the possible genotoxic effects of the styrene exposure. Twenty-eight reinforced plastic workers and 28 control subject...

Little information exists about the possible neurotoxicity of styrene. The present study was designed to explore whether long term inhalation exposure (three months) to styrene (90 and 320 ppm) could induce long lasting astroglial alterations in Sprague Dawley rats, traceable four months after exposure ceased. Styrene exposure at 320 ppm induced such alterations as shown by raised concentration...

Toughening of polyamide 6 (PA6)/ Nanoclay (NC) nanocomposites with styrene-ethylene/butadiene-styrene copolymer (SEBS) using maleated styrene-ethylene/butadiene-styrene copolymer (mSEBS)/ as a compatibilizer were investigated by blending them in a co-rotating twin-screw extruder. Response surface method of experimental design was used for optimizing the material and processing parameters. Effec...

A two-dimensional gas chromatographic method for the analysis of trace benzene in styrene is described. This method employs the Agilent 6890N GC system equipped with a Deans switch device. The method can be used in a prefractionator mode to analyze trace benzene in styrene according to the proposed ASTM method [1]. It can also be used in a heart-cutting mode to transfer more precisely just the ...

A novel approach to the recycling of polystyrene is reported here; polystyrene is converted to a biodegradable plastic, namely polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA). This unique combinatorial approach involves the pyrolysis of polystyrene to styrene oil, followed by the bacterial conversion of the styrene oil to PHA by Pseudomonas putida CA-3 (NCIMB 41162). The pyrolysis (520 degrees C) of polystyrene in ...