Characterization of a Composite of High-Impact Polystyrene, Pseudoboehmite and Graphene Oxide

The application of a composite material of pseudoboehmite, polystyrene and graphene oxide was studied. The present work is the synthesis and characterization of high-impact polystyrene (HIPS) nanocomposite, with pseudoboehmite (PSB) and graphene oxide. Pseudoboehmite particles with nanometric dimensions were obtained by sol-gel process. The composites were characterized by mechanical tests (tensile strength, flexural strength, Izod Impact, Shore D Hardness), thermal (Flow index, temperature of thermal deflection under load-HDT, Vicat softening temperature, differential tests thermal analyses and thermogravimetric analysis) and morphologically by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The results obtained were compared with HIPS matrix properties, without PSB and graphene oxide addition. From the thermal analyzes, composite samples showed higher decomposition temperatures compared to pure high-impact polystyrene especially in the thermogravimetric analysis results, showing a considerable increase in the temperature at which material decomposition begins (322 °C for pure high-impact polystyrene and 380 °C for the composite).