Effect of Copolymer Composition and Solvent Polarity on the Phase Behavior of Mixtures of Poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) with Cyclopentane and Cyclopentene

Abstract

The free radical polymerization of ethylene-based copolymers is typically performed in a single-phase region which requires that the operating pressure be held high enough to inhibit phase separation but low enough to make the process economically feasible. In this paper special attention is given to the change in phase behavior that results by the random incorporation of polar vinyl acetate groups in the backbone of a nonpolar polyethylene chain.