Procedure

1. In a fume hood, 4.55g of styrene was put in a medium test tube and 0.2g benzoyl
peroxide.
2. The test tube was place in a water bath for approximately 1 ½ hours.
3. The beaker was cooled and the physical properties of the polymer (bulk) was examined.
4. Residual polystyrene left in the beaker was removes by rinsing with a few mL of xylene
and was warmed later with a water bath until it is fully dissolved.
5. A few drops of warm xylene solution were dropped on a glass slide and let to evaporate
under the hood. A thin film of polystyrene was left on the slide.
6. The remaining xylene mixture was discarded into a waste container and washed.
7. The product was weighed.
8. The structure of product was observed and compared using a microscope.