Modification of Unsaturated Polyester Resin Using Elastomers

Unsaturated polyester resin is widely used in the fiber reinforced plastic industry It suffers from lack of toughness, which makes it susceptible to breakage in the absence of reinforcement. This problem can be solved, at least partly, by the incorporation of elastomers. In this study a simple technique of dissolving various masticated elastomers in styrene and subsequent solution blending with unsaturated polyester resin has been done. The results point to the suitability of nitrile rubber for this purpose compared to other elastomers. An increase in toughness has been achieved without sacrificing any other property substantially.