ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Mechanism of redox initiating system for grafting of vinyl-chloride onto polyethylene

J. Bartuš and J. Beniska

Lehrstuhl für Chemische Technologie der Kunststoffe und Fasern der Slowakischen Technischen Hochschule, CS-812 37 Bratislava

Abstract: The grafting of vinyl chloride onto hydroperoxidized powdered polyethylene has been studied under the conditions of emulsion polymerization in the presence of copper(II) salt, ammonia, and reducing agent. The course of conversion curves was different when using dienol (ascorbic acid) and reducing sugar (glucose) as reducing agents. The decomposition of rert-butyl hydrogen peroxide was done in model conditions for better understanding of the mechanism of the action of the system. The hydrogen peroxide decomposition and thus the polymerization of monomer were found to take place after reduction of the bivalent copper salt to monovalent by endiol anion formed in the basic medium. The found high value of the efficient activation energy of the process and almost zero order with respect to the hydrogen peroxide concen­tration point to the complexity of the elementary processes in the system. The proposed mechanism explains the course of polymerization as well as the formation of grafted vinyl chloride copolymer and homopolymer.

Full paper in Portable Document Format: 404a489.pdf

Chemical Papers 40 (4) 489–497 (1986)