Cross-linking of polystyrene by Friedel-Crafts chemistry: reaction of p-hydroxymethylbenzyl chloride with polystyrene

p-Hydroxymethylbenzyl chloride was found to be an effective cross-linking agent for polystyrene. The reaction was found to occur by Friedel-Crafts alkylation between the benzyl alcohol/chloride functional groups in the additive and phenyl ring in polystyrene. The reaction was studied by TGA-IR to monitor the evolution of hydrogen chloride and water, and the structure of the resultant gel was analyzed by solid state NMR and elemental analysis. The potential application in flame-retardancy was evaluated using Cone calorimetry