Styrene-maleic anhydride copolymer

Styrene-maleic anhydride copolymer, a thermoplastic resin produced by the copolymerization of styrene and maleic anhydride. A rigid, heat-resistant, and chemical-resistant plastic, it is used in automobile parts, small appliances, and food-service trays.

Styrene is a clear liquid obtained by the dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene. Maleic anhydride is a white solid obtained by the oxidation of benzene or butane. These two monomers can be mixed in a bulk process and induced to polymerize under the action of free-radical initiators. The result is a polymer with an alternating-block structure, in which styrene units and maleic anhydride units alternate along the polymer chain. The copolymer repeating unit can be represented as follows:

In practice, most of the copolymers contain about 5 to 20 percent maleic anydride, depending on the application, and some grades also contain small amounts of butadiene for better impact resistance.