Vinylchloride copolymers obtained by chemical modification of PVC

Abstract

A homologous series of polyvinylchlorides (PVCs) with the general formula (CH 2 -CHCl) m -(CH 2 -CHX) n , where m can vary gradually from 100 to 50 or less, n from 100 to 50 or more, and X can be small atoms such as H, or benzenethiolate groups, were obtained by substitution reactions of PVC. The microstructural analysis of these polymers carried out by 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy reveals that chlorines are preferentially substituted in isotactic and heterotactic placements. The molecular weight determined by osmometry confirms that there is no chain scission or crosslinking of the polymer during the reaction. As all polymers of these homologous series have the same chain length, and in all cases the chlorine elimination is preferentialy random in the amorphous part, they may be considered as model compounds of PVC for studies of the relationship between polymer structure and properties.