Peroxide-initiated grafting of maleic anhydride onto linear and branched hydrocarbons

The structural features of the grafting of maleic anhydride onto low-molecular-weight compounds have been elucidated using several spectroscopic and analytical techniques. Conclusive evidence for the occurrence of singly grafted anhydride residues in multiply grafted products has been established using 2,3-¹³C₂ labeled maleic anhydride. In homogeneous solution, at the low concentrations of maleic anhydride employed, there is little evidence for oligomeric or polymeric grafts to dodecane, pristane, or squalane. The results suggest that isothermal grafting of maleic anhydride to hydrocarbon polymers should also lead to a predominance of single grafts. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 3817–3825, 1999     

Kinetic studies of grafting of maleic anhydride to hydrocarbon substrates

The kinetics of grafting of maleic anhydride to various hydrocarbon substrates has been investigated. Grafting to eicosane and squalane was effected in the pure hydrocarbons and in 1,2-dichlorobenzene solution, while polyethylene was grafted only in solution. The initiator was 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-di(t-butylperoxy)-3-hexyne which has a half life of about 1 h at a typical reaction temperature of 150°C. At high concentrations of initiator (Ca. 0.02M), the rate of disappearance of maleic anhydride is linear with time. In the pure hydrocarbons the order with respect to initiator is close to 0.5. In squalane, the overall activation energy is 112 kJ mol^?1; the average number of maleic anhydride molecules grafted per molecule of peroxide decomposed varies from 8 at high rates of initiation to 57 at low rates of initiation. The results are interpreted in terms of a chain mechanism, including a slow propagation step in which a succinic anhydride radical abstracts hydrogen from the same or a different chain. The same general mechanism is proposed for grafting of maleic anhydride to polyethylene and the hydrocarbons in 1,2-dichlorobenzene solution.     

Polymers from renewable resources. II. A study in the radio chemical grafting of poly(styrene‐alt‐maleic anhydride) onto cellulose extracted from pine needles

A binary mixture of styrene and maleic anhydride has been graft copolymerized onto cellulose extracted from Pinus roxburghii needles. The reaction was initiated with gamma rays in air by the simultaneous irradiation method. Graft copolymerization was studied under optimum conditions of total dose of radiation, amount of water, and molar concentration previously worked out for grafting styrene onto cellulose. Percentage of total conversion (Pg), grafting efficiency (%), percentage of grafting (Pg), and rates of polymerization (R_p), grafting (R_g), and homopolymerization (R_h) have been determined as a function of maleic anhydride concentration. The high degree of kinetic regularity and the linear dependence of the rate of polymerization on maleic anhydride concentration, along with the low and nearly constant rate of homopolymerization suggest that the monomers first form a complexomer which then polymerizes to form grafted chains with an alternating sequence. Grafting parameters and reaction rates achieve maximum values when the molar ratio of styrene to maleic anhydride is 1 : 1. Further evidence for the alternating monomer sequence is obtained from quantitatively evaluating the composition of the grafted chains from the FT‐IR spectra, in which the ratio of anhydride absorbance to aromatic (CC) absorbance for the stretching bands assigned to the grafted monomers remained constant and independent of the feed ratio of maleic anhydride to styrene. Thermal behaviour of the graft copolymers revealed that all graft copolymers exhibit single stage decomposition with characteristic transitions at 161–165°C and 290–300°C. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 1763–1769, 1999     

Synthesis,Characterization, and Performance Evaluation of Polymeric HALS in Ethylene‐Propylene‐Diene Terpolymer (EPDM)

A polymeric hindered amine light stabilizer (HALS), wherein the hindered amine functionality was attached to the maleic anhydride graft ethylene‐propylene‐diene terpolymer (EPDM) was synthesized. This involves photoinduced grafting of maleic anhydride groups on unsaturated sites of EPDM, followed by incorporation of amino terminated HALS. The grafting and functionalization reactions were characterized by FTIR and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. The surface changes upon degradation are studied by SEM. The photostabilizing efficiency of this polymeric HALS was studied and compared with conventional HALS under accelerated weathering conditions. The HALS grafted EPDM showed significantly improved photostabilizing efficiency.     

Synthesis and characterization of anhydride-functional polycaprolactone

Polycaprolactone-graft-maleic anhydride (PCL-g-MA) copolymer was prepared by grafting maleic anhydride onto PCL in a batch mixer and in an extruder using dicumyl peroxide as the initiator. The graft content was determined with the volumetric method by converting the anhydride functions to acid groups and then titrating with ethanolic potassium hydroxide. The grafted polymer was extracted with xylene to remove any unreacted monomer before the estimation step. The effect of temperature and the various concentrations of the initiator and monomer used for the grafting reaction were investigated. The presence of residual initiator in the reaction product was checked using thin-layer chromatography. Molecular weight determination was carried out for the pure and grafted polymer using gel permeation chromatography to determine if chain scission was present. Results indicate that maleic anhydride is grafted onto PCL using free radical initiators. The grafting reaction was confirmed by FTIR and NMR techniques. FTIR spectra showed absorption bands around 1785 and 1858 cm⁻¹. NMR spectra gave signals for methine proton at 3.47 ppm. For a given peroxide level, a higher temperature or residence (reaction) time gave higher percentage of grafted MA. There was an optimum temperature and initiator concentration after which the percentage of MA grafted on PCL decreased. The number-average molecular weight, tensile strength, and the percent elongation of PCL-g-MA were comparable to those of PCL before grafting. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 35: 1139–1148, 1997     

Photoinitiated grafting of maleic anhydride onto polypropylene

The photoinitiated grafting of maleic anhydride (MAH) onto polypropylene with the use of benzophenone (BP) as the initiator has been investigated. In comparison with the process of thermally initiated grafting with peroxide as the initiator, photoinitiated grafting affords a higher grafting efficiency. The efficient photografting sensitized by BP can be explained by two possible mechanistic processes: the sensitization of the formation of the excited triplet state of MAH by BP and electron transfer followed by proton transfer between MAH and the benzopinacol radical, which may operate together. In the former case, the generated MAH excited triplet state abstracts a hydrogen from the polymer substrate to initiate grafting. A rate constant of 3.6 × 10⁹ M ^?1 s ^?1 has been determined by laser flash photolysis for the process of quenching the excited triplet state of BP with ground‐state MAH. In comparison, the rate constant for the quenching of the excited triplet state of BP by hydrogen abstraction has been determined to be 4.1 × 10⁵ M ^?1 s ^?1. In a study of photografting using a model compound, 2,4‐dimethylpentane, as a small‐molecule analogue of polypropylene, the loss of BP was significantly reduced upon the addition of MAH, and this is consistent with the proposed mechanistic processes. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 1953–1962, 2004     

The radiation-induced graft copolymerisation of styrene and maleic anhydride to polyethylene

Kinetic parameters have been obtained for the radiation-induced graft copolymerisation of styrene and maleic anhydride onto polyethylene. Evidence of sensitisation by maleic anhydride of styrene grafting has been obtained, although in the early stages of grafting we also have an indication of the formation of grafted branches which contain both maleic anhydride and styrene in regular sequences. The production of copolymers of this type provides modified polythenes having changed physical and chemical properties. In certain situations there is evidence of diffusion control in the later stages of the grafting reactions. Also, in the early stages of grafting, no true steady-state position appears with respect to the monomer concentration dependence and the intensity dependence.     

Structure of poly(maleic anhydride)

The bulk polymerization of maleic anhydride initiated with acylperoxides, di-tert-butyl peroxide, AIBN, or pyridine proceeds with evolution of CO₂. The amount of CO₂ generated depends on the nature and the concentration of the initiator. With peroxide initiators, less than 5% of the polymerized maleic anhydride is decarboxylated. ¹H-NMR spectra, obtained on the benzoyl peroxide-initiated polymer and its methyl ester, are consistent with the unrearranged poly(maleic anhydride) structure and rule out the polycyclopentanone structure proposed by Braun and co-workers. Base-initiated polymaleic anhydride is substantially decarboxylated, and the resulting polymer has anhydride and carboxyl groups. Elemental analyses and ¹H-NMR spectra obtained on the pyridine-initiated polymer and its methyl ester refute both the cis-poly(vinylene ketoanhydride) structure suggested by Schopov and the polycylopentanone structure proposed by Braun and co-workers.     

13C NMR Study of the grafting of 13C labeled maleic anhydride onto PE,PP and EPM

The chemical structure of polyolefins grafted with maleic anhydride (MA) has been the subject of much speculation, but thorough experimental studies are rare. MA with 99% ¹³C in the double bond was synthesized and grafted onto PE, EPM and PP in the melt and solution. 1D INADEQUATE ¹³C NMR spectroscopy was used to characterize the products. Saturated, monomeric MA graft structures are formed. Only for grafted PE short MA oligomers are demonstrated. Grafting occurs on secondary and tertiary carbons depending on the composition of the polyolefin. For PP a new, unsaturated MA graft structure on the polymer chain terminus is identified. All graft structures are rationalized using a simple grafting mechanism.     

Grafting of maleic anhydride on polyethylene. I. Mechanism of grafting in a heterogeneous medium in the presence of radical initiators

Polyethylene has been grafted with maleic anhydride, as proved by the infrared spectra and the properties of the grafted films. The influence of oxygen and a comparison of the effectiveness of benzoyl peroxide and AIBN showed that polyethylene macroradicals are formed through the decomposition of hydroperoxide and peroxide groups. Side chains of poly(maleic anhydride) are formed by a combination of polyethylene macroradicals with those of poly(maleic anhydride). This mechanism of reaction was confirmed by the influence of the amount of film, the initiator and monomer concentrations, and temperature on the percentage of grafting.     

Grafting of maleic anhydride to hydrocarbons below the ceiling temperature

Maleic anhydride has been grafted to eicosane and squalane at 60–80°C using 1,2-dichlorobenzene as solvent and benzoyl peroxide as initiator. These hydrocarbons are low molecular weight models for hydrocarbon polymers containing secondary and tertiary hydrogen atoms. In the absence of the hydrocarbon and with monomer concentrations of the order of 1M, low molecular weight poly(maleic anhydride) is formed. On addition of the hydrocarbon, the main product is grafted material and very little homopolymer is formed. The grafts consist primarily of single succinic anhydride units but some of them are short poly(maleic anhydride) chains. Ceiling temperature considerations control the formation of homopolymer in the absence of hydrocarbon substrate. In the presence of eicosane or squalane, initiation of grafting proceeds by hydrogen abstraction from the hydrocarbon. The main factor controlling graft length is then the ratio of the rates of intramolecular hydrogen abstraction and of monomer addition to succinic anhydride radicals © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Grafting of maleic anhydride to n-eicosane

Maleic anhydride was grafted to the linear hydrocarbon, n-eicosane, at 165°C in the presence of the free radical initiator, 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-di(t-butylperoxy)-3-hexyne. The anhydride has a low solubility in eicosane and a multiple addition procedure was adopted. Grafted product which separated from the reaction mixture was fractionated and analyzed. The fractions contained on average 2–5.5 anhydride units/eicosane residue. ¹H- and ¹³C-NMR studies show that the grafts consist of single succinic anhydride rings. At the concentrations of maleic anhydride chosen for homogeneous reaction ( < 0.02 M) and at 165°C, poly(maleic anhydride) is above its ceiling temperature, so that succinic anhydride radicals cannot add maleic anhydride to form polymer side chains. Instead, these radicals abstract hydrogen atoms to yield grafts consisting of single anhydride units.     

Synthesis of mono and difunctional oligoisobutylenes—III. Modification of α-chlorooligoisobutylene by reaction with maleic anhydride

Reaction of monofunctional oligoisobutylene with maleic anhydride is described. In a preliminary study, thermal dehydrochlorination of α-chlorooligoisobutylene is examined; the double bond of the resulting olefin can be endo or exo. Ene reaction of maleic anhdride with this oligomer is first studied on a model, 2,4,4-trimethyl-1-pentene; resulting mixture is completely analysed by ¹³C- and ¹H-NMR spectroscopy: two isomeric oligomer anhydrides are formed. Ene synthesis is also carried out on α-(2-methyl-2-propenyl)oligoisobutylene; only exo bonds are able to react; the functionality of the resulting oligomeric anhydride mixture is 0.92. In the presence of a catalyst (dichloromaleic anhydride) disubstitution can take place, because the double bond formed in the first reaction is able to react a second time with maleic anhydride.     

Effect of the initial maleic anhydride content on the grafting of maleic anhydride onto isotactic polypropylene

A series of ¹³C‐enriched maleic anhydride grafted isotactic polypropylene samples were prepared in solution at 170 °C by changes in the initial maleic anhydride content. The NMR spectra of the samples showed that the signals of the maleic anhydride attached to the tertiary carbons of the isotactic polypropylene chains increased considerably with increasing maleic anhydride content, whereas the signals of the maleic anhydride on the radical chain ends (with a single bond) arising from β scission did not. On the other hand, the signals of the maleic anhydride on the radical chain ends with double bonds increased markedly with increasing maleic anhydride content, and this suggested that β scission could occur extensively after maleic anhydride was attached to the tertiary carbons. As a result, the molecular weight of the grafted polypropylene decreased significantly with increasing maleic anhydride content in this study. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 5529–5534, 2005     

Effect of comonomer sorption on radiation-induced copolymer grafting onto polyethylene and EVA films in the vapor phase

Radiation-induced copolymer grafting of acenaphthylene and maleic anhydride onto polyethylene or EVA film in the vapor phase was carried out and the effect of comonomer sorption on the grafting was studied. When polyethylene film was used as a backbone polymer, the sorption of the binary monomers during the grafting increased linearly as the grafting reaction proceeded. The marked increase was probably caused by the formation of a grafted layer. Particularly, the sorption of maleic anhydride was brought about by the existence of a grafted layer. In grafting onto EVA film, the content of maleic anhddride in the grafted copolymer increased with the increasing content of vinyl acetate in EVA. Continuous measurements of sorption of the comonomers onto EVA and grafted EVA films were carried out by use of an electrobalance. The distinctive feature of the sorption was that the equilibrium sorption of acenaphthylene or maleic anhydride onto the grafted EVA film increased and the diffusion constants for both comonomers decreased markedly with increasing percentage of graft. The copolymer grafting was explained from these results by assuming that the monomer molecules are supplied to the propagating chain ends mostly through a sorbed state on the polymer film.     

Bioengineering functional copolymers. III. Synthesis of biocompatible poly[(N‐isopropylacrylamide‐co‐maleic anhydride)‐g‐poly(ethylene oxide)]/poly(ethylene imine) macrocomplexes and their thermostabilization effect on the activity of the enzyme penicillin G acylase

Stimuli‐responsive poly[(N‐isopropylacrylamide‐co‐maleic anhydride)‐g‐poly(ethylene oxide)]/poly(ethylene imine) macrobranched macrocomplexes were synthesized by (1) the radical copolymerization of N‐isopropylacrylamide and maleic anhydride with α,α′‐azobisisobutyronitrile as an initiator in 1,4‐dioxane at 65 °C under a nitrogen atmosphere, (2) the polyesterification (grafting) of prepared poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide‐co‐maleic anhydride) containing less than 20 mol % anhydride units with α‐hydroxy‐ω‐methoxy‐poly(ethylene oxide)s having different number‐average molecular weights (M_n = 4000, 10,000, or 20,000), and (3) the incorporation of macrobranched copolymers with poly(ethylene imine) (M_n = 60,000). The composition and structure of the synthesized copolymer systems were determined by Fourier transform infrared, ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, and chemical and elemental analyses. The important properties of the copolymer systems (e.g., the viscosity, thermal and pH sensitivities, and lower critical solution temperature behavior) changed with increases in the molecular weight, composition, and length of the macrobranched hydrophobic domains. These copolymers with reactive anhydride and carboxylic groups were used for the stabilization of penicillin G acylase (PGA). The conjugation of the enzyme with the copolymers significantly increased the thermal stability of PGA (three times at 45 °C and two times at 65 °C). © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 1580–1593, 2003     

Preparation and structural characterization of poly(4-vinylphenylacetate-co-maleic anhydride)

Poly(4-vinylphenylacetate-co-maleic anhydride) was synthesized by free-radical initiation to yield a 1:1 copolymer over a 0.2-0.8 mole fraction range of monomer feed in maleic anhydride. Evidence of 1:1 charge transfer complex between 4-vinylphenylacetate and maleic anhydride was obtained in the UV region at 355 nm. The ¹³C NMR chemical shifts and ¹H NMR integration data indicate that poly(4-vinylphenylacetate-co-maleic anhydride) has an alternating and stereoregular structure. The molecular weight of poly(4-vinylphenylacetate-co-maleic anhydride) was controlled by using specific solvents and initiator concentrations.     

Vapor-phase graft copolymerization of binary solid monomers onto poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) film by ultraviolet irradiation

Vapor-phase graft copolymerizations of acenaphthylene–maleimide or acenaphthylene–maleic anhydride binary solid monomers onto poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) films were carried out under ultraviolet irradiation. The extent of sorption of single or binary monomers increased with the increasing vinyl acetate content in the backbone polymers. The sorbed binary monomers were mainly composed of acenaphthylene, but the maleimide or maleic anhydride fraction increased with the increasing vinyl acetate content of the films and the composition was little affected by surface hydrolysis. In all series of graft polymerization of single or binary monomers the overall extent of grafting increased with the vinyl acetate content and was suppressed by the surface hydrolysis of the backbone film. The composition of the grafted copolymer, however, differed markedly, depending on the combination of binary monomers. The grafted copolymer in the acenaphthylene–maleimide system was composed mainly of acenaphthylene units, whereas that in the acenaphthylene–maleic anhydride system was composed mainly of maleic anhydride units. The results were compared with those of γ-ray grafting, and it was suggested that the contribution of a direct supply of monomers from vapor phase and the existence of an acetoxy group on the surface of the film should play an important role in the grafting reaction.     

Reactive Compatibilization of Polyethylene/Ground Tire Rubber Inhomogeneous Blends via Interactions of Pre-Functionalized Polymers in Interface

Summary: Reactive compatibilization of recycled low- or high-density polyethylenes (LDPE and HDPE, respectively) and ground tire rubber (GTR) via chemical interactions of pre-functionalized components in their blend interface has been carried out. Polyethylene component was functionalized with maleic anhydride (MAH) as well as the rubber component was modified via functionalization with MAH or acrylamide (AAm) using chemically or irradiation (γ-rays) induced grafting techniques. The grafting degree and molecular mass distribution of the functionalized polymers have been measured via FTIR and Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC) analyses, respectively. Thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) materials based on synthesized reactive polyethylenes and GTR as well as ethylene-propylene-diene rubber, EPDM were prepared by dynamic vulcanization of the rubber phase inside thermoplastic (polyethylene) matrix and their phase structure, and main properties have been studied using DSC and mechanical testing. As a final result, the high performance TPE with improved mechanical properties have been developed.     

Chemical initiation mechanism of maleic anhydride grafted onto styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer

The mechanism of grafting styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) tri-block copolymer with maleic anhydride (MAH) initiated by benzoperoxide (BPO) or 2,2^′-azo-bis-isobutyronitrile (AIBN) was studied by FTIR and ¹H NMR spectroscopies. The variation of CC (double bond) content in SBS-g-MAH was used to verify the different graft mechanisms of BPO and AIBN, indicating that the chemical initiation mechanisms of MAH grafted onto SBS of AIBN is different from that of BPO. The graft reaction occurs by addition on CC for AIBN, while by removal of an allylic hydrogen atom from SBS and by addition on CC at the same time for BPO. The graft efficiency of AIBN is higher than that of BPO in this system.