Chlorocarboxylation of polyethylene. II. Reaction mechanism of the process

Abstract

AbstractChlorocarboxylated polyethylene (CCPE) is produced by simultaneous reaction of chlorine and maleic anhydride (MA) with polyethylene (PE). Hydrogen atoms on the PE chain are substituted either by chlorine atoms or by maleic anhydride moieties. The reaction mechanism involves creation of an active site, i.e. a radical on the PE chain. There is competition between chlorine and MA molecules for the reaction with this macroradical. Chlorine reacts to give chlorinated polyethylene (CPE) type segments, while MA reacts as a single unit (as chloro derivative) without forming any graft copolymer. There is a marked reduction in the rate of chlorination of PE due to the presence of MA. This is probably due to the competitive nature of the process and the radical scavenging action of MA.