Structural defects in polyvinylchloride—II Structure and properties of polyvinylchloride prepared in presence of oxygen and carbon monoxide

Abstract

To investigate oxygen-containing structures in PVC, arising for example from the presence of air in technical polymerization vessels, vinyl chloride (VC) suspension polymerizations were performed with various amounts of added oxygen. Quantitative investigations demonstrated that the low molecular peroxides formed in the induction period decompose, resulting in hydrogen chloride, formaldehyde and carbon monoxide. Residual peroxides have been determined in the final copolymers and found to be mainly responsible for the considerable reduction in the thermal stability. Considerable evidence is provided that carbon monoxide, copolymerized with VC, is incorporated as a carboxylic acid sidegroup. It is considered to arise from a 1,2 chlorine shift to the carbonyl radical chain-end. The resulting acryloyl chlorides are capable of reacting with water, alcohols or amines to yield the corresponding acids, esters or amides. A new i.r. band at 1770 cm −1 after alkali treatment of VC-CO copolymers containing acrylic acid groups is suggested as caused by the formation of butyrolactone structures. Butyrolactone formation by methyl chloride evolution was also observed in thermal degradation of VC-CO copolymers containing methyl acrylate units. The rates of dehydrochlorination of the copolymers are not very different from those of pure suspension PVC.