Hydroperoxide formation in irradiated polyethylene

Spectroscopic analysis for hydroperoxide in irradiated ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene, on the basis of the formation of a nitrate derivative after exposure to dilute nitric oxide, is examined. Hydroperoxide is found to be an important intermediate in the oxidation of polyethylene and is believed to result from hydrogen abstraction reactions by peroxy radicals in a polyethylene matrix. During γ irradiation in air, the rates of bimolecular combination of peroxy radicals on the surface to form ketones or hydrogen abstraction to form hydroperoxides are similar. However, as a result of bimolecular combination, the concentration of peroxy radicals decreases. After irradiation and storage in ambient air, isolated peroxy radicals below the polymer surface induce a slow chain reaction leading to a long-term increase in hydroperoxides and carbonyls. Differences in hydroperoxide and oxygen content for samples irradiated in air or vacuum are primarily confined to or near the surface. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 3309–3316, 1999     

The thermo-oxidative degradation of polyolefines—Part 10. Correlation between the formation of carboxyl groups and scission in the oxidation of polyethylene in the melt phase

Films of low density polyethylene have been degraded under an oxygen atmosphere at temperatures above the semicrystalline melting point. Time, conversion and temperature dependence of carboxyl group formation and chain scission have been studied. After induction periods we found linear dependences both in function of time and conversion. One third of absorbed oxygen forms carboxyl groups and the absorption of 3·57 mmol oxygen per monomer unit is needed for one chain scission. Maximum rates of carboxyl formation and chain scission have Arrhenius temperature dependence with 33·5 kcal/mole activation energy. The number of carboxyl groups and chain scissions are always practically the same; we assume that the isomerisation of secondary alkyl peroxy radicals simultaneously causes chain scission and carboxyl formation.     

Physico-chemical aspects of polyethylene processing in an open mixer. Part 23: Mechanisms and kinetics of trans-vinylene group consumption

There are many potential reactions for trans-vinylene groups in oxidizing polyethylene melts. The main possibilities are reactions with peroxy radicals, molecular oxygen, hydroperoxides and peracids. These different reactions can all contribute to the removal of trans-vinylene groups to some extent. This is especially so, for the reactions with hydroperoxides that have been found to be the dominant reactions with vinylidene and vinyl groups in the low temperature range. The reaction with peroxy radicals is thought to be as important relatively as with vinylidene groups. Therefore, the importance of the reaction is decreasing with increasing temperature. However, the most characteristic reaction for trans-vinylene groups can be detected without any doubt only in the advanced stages of processing. It is mechanical stress induced oxygen addition to the double bond. The discussion shows that the reaction should be important from the beginning of processing. The reaction cannot operate with vinyl and vinylidene groups, which are not part of the polyethylene main chain. After oxygen addition to the trans-vinylene group, the “ene” reaction yields an allylic hydroperoxide so that the double bond is not immediately removed. It is acid catalyzed hydroperoxide decomposition that leads to chain scission with aldehyde formation at the new chain ends.     

Temperature influence on the stability and chemical composition of electron beam‐irradiated polytetrafluoroethylene

Polytetrafluoroethylene powder (PTFE) was exposed to electron beam radiation in presence of air. The irradiation mainly resulted in chain scission and induction of oxygenated groups and radicals as well as unsaturation. The thermal behavior of the irradiated PTFE and the fate of the radicals were studied comprehensively. Apart from fluorine, saturated and unsaturated fluorocarbons and oxygen‐containing groups were released during heating. Furthermore, irradiation‐generated peroxy radicals were transformed into alkyl radicals in a partly reversible process. A proposal for the complex reaction mechanisms of irradiated PTFE is given. The thermal stability of irradiated PTFE was improved by annealing. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 37: 2404–2411, 1999     

Aging and degradation of polyolefins. I. Peroxide-initiated oxidations of atactic polypropylene

Efficiencies of polymer radical production by thermal decomposition of di-tert-butylperoxy oxalate (DBPO) have been measured in bulk atactic polypropylene (PP) at 25–55°C; they range from 1 to 26%, depending on [DBPO], temperature, and presence of oxygen. Most of the polymer radicals thus produced disproportionate in the absence of oxygen but form peroxy radicals in its presence. Most of the pairs of peroxy radicals interact by a first-order reaction in the polymer cage. The fraction that escapes gives hydroperoxide in a reaction that is half order in rate of initiation. In interactions of polymer peroxy radicals, in or out of the cage, about one-third give dialkyl peroxides and immediate chain termination, two-thirds give alkoxy radicals. About one-third of the later cleave at 45°C; the rest abstract hydrogen to give hydroxy groups and new polymer and polymer peroxy radicals. The primary peroxy radicals from cleavage account for the rest of the chain termination. Cleavage of alkoxy radicals and crosslinking of PP through dialkyl peroxides nearly compensate. Up to 70% of the oxygen absorbed has been found in hydroperoxides. The formation of these can be completely inhibited, but cage reactions are unaffected by inhibitors. Concentrations of free polymer peroxy radicals have been measured by electron spin resonance and found to be very high, about 10^?3M at 58–63°C. Comparison with results on 2,4-dimethylpentane indicate that rate constants for both chain propagation and termination in the polymer are much smaller than those for the model hydrocarbon but that the ratio, k_p/(2k_t)^½, is about the same.     

Photoreactions of radicals during polyolefin photooxidation

Polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) peroxy radicals undergo photoreactions, but under commonly encountered photodegradation conditions these reaction rates are much lower than those of conventional radical reactions; for example, for PP peroxy radicals in noon summer sunlight at 25°C their rate of photolysis to alkyl radicals is less than one-tenth of their rate of hydrogen abstraction from the polymer. At lower temperatures( < ?10°C) or when more intense radiation is used, however, peroxy radical photolysis becomes a proportionately more important source of alkyl radicals. In addition, occurrence of photoinduced radical combination is confirmed but is shown to be important only when photolysis generates an alkyl radical sufficiently close to a peroxy radical that termination can occur before oxygen reconverts the alkyl radical to a peroxy radical. This termination mechanism therefore becomes more important for radicals generated at lower temperatures when the average separation of a radical pair is lower.     

Electron spin resonance spectra of polymers during fluorination

ESR spectra characteristic of peroxy radicals appeared rapidly in all of eleven hydrogen-containing polymers examined when treated with dilute fluorine. These radicals presumably result from the reaction of hydrocarbon and fluorocarbon radicals, existing at undetectably low steady-state concentrations, with the oxygen impurity content of commercial fluorine. In poly(vinylidene fluoride) films of thickness 11 and 58 μm the radical contents were nearly proportional to surface area rather than volume, in agreement with earlier reports of a shallow depth of penetration. Some polymers exhibited also or exclusively a broad spectral component, varying in character with the polymer; examples are polystyrene, polyethylene, poly (vinyl chloride), poly(vinylidene chloride), polyoctafluoropentadiene, polyhexafluoropropene, and a fluorinated graphite. The broad spectral component did not react with ordinary radical scavengers such as propylene and oxygen, and is probably not due to a fluorocarbon radical but to unknown transition metal fluorides.     

High temperature reactions of an aryl-alkyl phosphine, an exceptionally efficient melt stabiliser for polyethylene

Bis(diphenylphosphino)-2,2-dimethylpropane (PMP) is a highly efficient melt stabiliser of polyethylene. This aryl-alkyl phosphine hinders the degradation of the polymer during processing even in small concentrations and in combination with a phenolic antioxidant its consumption rate is considerably slower than that of phosphites and phosphonites. In this study the reactions of PMP were studied at temperatures corresponding to those used for the processing of polyethylene in order to explore the processing stabilisation mechanism of this additive. Thermal and thermo-oxidative stability were determined by DSC and TGA, respectively by heating PMP in argon and oxygen at 200 and 240 °C. Reactions with peroxy, carbon-centred and oxy radicals, as well as with hydroperoxide were investigated at 200 °C. Reaction products were identified by FT-IR and solution-state NMR spectroscopy. The results revealed that the phosphine studied has sufficient thermal- and thermo-oxidative stability under the processing conditions of polyethylene. It oxidises easily with any oxidising agent including molecular oxygen of air. Consequently, PMP does not only decompose hydroperoxide groups and react with oxy macroradicals during the processing of polyethylene, as claimed by most references on phosphorous antioxidants, but it can also hinder the formation of peroxy macroradicals, i.e., the initiation reaction of thermo-oxidative degradation.     

Kinetics of radiolytic oxidation of ferrous ions in some aqueous aerated systems

The oxidation of ferrous ions by organic peroxy radicals at different doses is non-linear, however, the plots of inverse of ferric ion concentration against inverse of dose are linear. This behavior is explained by a set of three general reactions. Some of the organic free radicals produced in these systems either react with O₂ forming peroxy radicals or they get oxidized by ferric ions. Other organic free radicals do not involve in the above competition and react with O₂ only.     

Spin trapping reactions with nitric oxides II. Acylalkyl nitroxides

Radical trapping by nitric oxide in the presence of oxygen has been studied by ESR spectroscopy. The oxygen was found to react much faster with alkyl radicals than nitric oxide, it suppresses formation of dialkyl nitroxides and initiates creation of acyl nitroxides through reactions between peroxy radicals and nitric oxide.     

Singlet oxygen oxidation of polynorbornene (Part II)

Polynorbornene is a polymer susceptible to oxidation by singlet oxygen (¹O₂, ¹Δ_g) generated by a microwave method or in dye photosensitised reactions. Reaction of singlet oxygen with polynorbornene yields hydroperoxides. The photochemical decomposition of these hydroperoxides produces polymer oxy radicals. Polymer chain scission is a result of β-scission of the polymer oxy radicals.     

Mechanism of antioxidant interaction on polymer oxidation by thermal and radiation ageing

The mechanism of polymer oxidation by radiation and thermal ageing was investigated for the life evaluation of cables installed in radiation environments. The antioxidant as a stabilizer was very effective for thermal oxidation with a small content in polymers, but was not effective for radiation oxidation. The ionizing radiation induced the oxidation to result in chain scission even at low temperature, because the free radicals were produced and the antioxidant could not stop the oxidation of radicals with the chain scission. A new mechanism of antioxidant effect for polymer oxidation was proposed. The effect of antioxidant was not the termination of free radicals in polymer chains such as peroxy radicals, but was the depression of initial radical formation in polymer chains by thermal activation. The antioxidant molecule was assumed to delocalize the activated energy in polymer chains by the Boltzmann statics (distribution) to result in decrease in the probability of radical formation at a given temperature. The interaction distance (delocalization volume) by one antioxidant molecule was estimated to be 5–10 nm by the radius of sphere in polymer matrix, though the value would depend on the chemical structure of antioxidant.     

Physico-chemical aspects of polyethylene processing in an open mixer. Part 22: Mechanisms and kinetics of vinyl and vinylidene group consumption

The reactions of vinyl and vinylidene groups in oxidizing polyethylene melts are partly unexpected. The main possibilities of consumption that can be envisaged are reactions with peroxy radicals, molecular oxygen, hydroperoxides and peracids. These different reactions can all contribute to some extent to the removal of vinyl and vinylidene groups. However, the dominant reactions are quite specific for the two unsaturated groups and the temperature range. Consumption of vinylidene groups results mainly from reaction with peroxy radicals and with hydroperoxides. It decreases significantly in the high temperature range in which the hydroperoxides do not accumulate. Reaction with hydroperoxides seems also to be the dominant reaction removing vinyl groups in polyethylene melts at low temperature. The reaction with peroxy radicals seems negligible in the whole temperature range of the experiments. The increasing consumption rates in the high temperature range are attributed to dimerisation involving two vinyl groups. The same reaction is thought to account for molecular enlargement in polyethylene types with significant amounts of vinyl groups. In this respect it complements macro-alkyl radical addition to vinyl groups. The contributions of the two mechanisms to molecular enlargement are discussed.     

An ESR study of PMMA mechanoradicals and of their interaction with oxygen

Analysis of ESR spectra of mechanoradicals from poly(methyl methacrylate) reveals that after mechanical degradation in vacuo at 77°K, the sample contains two types of primary radicals? CH₂? C(CH₃)(COOCH₃) (I) and CH₂? C(CH₃)(COOCH₃)? CH₂ (II) produced by the breaking of the polymer chain, and secondary radicals ? CH₂? C(CH₃)(COOCH₃)? CH? C(CH₃)? (COOCH₃)? CH₂? (III). With increasing temperature, radical I remains stable while II reacts with methylene hydrogen of the polymer chain giving rise to the secondary radical III, which decays and finally disappears as the temperature rises. After admission of oxygen at 113°K, the polymer radicals react with oxygen with formation of polymer peroxy radicals ROO. and diamagnetic dimers. With increasing temperature the latter dissociate again to the original polymer peroxy radicals which gradually decay, if the temperature is increased further. The present results are compared with earlier ones obtained on poly(ethylene glycol methacrylate) (PGMA).     

The role of hydroperoxides in photo-oxidative degradation of cis-1,4-polybutadiene

Hydroperoxides undergo various types of homolytic reactions on exposure to u.v. radiation. Free radicals formed from the photodecomposition of the hydroperoxide group (OOH) are oxy (HO.) and peroxy (HOO.) radicals which participate in further reactions. In cis-1,4-polybutadiene, they may initiate free radical oxidations. Cleavage of alkoxy (RO.) radicals and crosslinking of polymer radicals through polymer peroxides in the presence of air in solid film nearly balance. Most polymer radicals produced in the absence of oxygen undergo cross-linking but form peroxy radicals (POO.) in its presence. This paper presents results on the photodecomposition of tert-butyl hydroperoxide, cumyl hydroperoxide and 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-dihydroperoxyhexane in cis-1,4-polybutadiene in film and in solution.     

Dominating reactions in the degradation of HDPE during long term ageing in water

A Phillips type high density polyethylene was extruded six times without additives and the compression molded plates prepared from the granules were stored in distilled water for 12 months. Specimens withdrawn from the containers at regular intervals were thoroughly characterized with various methods including the determination of weight changes, color, MFI, functional group content (FTIR), molecular weight (GPC), thermal (DSC) and mechanical (tensile) properties. The results proved that all reactions taking place during the storage of HDPE in distilled water are related to each other; the correlation of all functional groups formed or consumed in them is surprisingly close. The amount of oxygen present determines the direction of reactions, larger oxygen content leads to chain scission, to an increase of methyl content and to the formation of carbonyl groups. Most of these reactions go through double bonds, their number decreases during storage. In spite of the large number of reactions proposed in the literature, only one or two dominating reactions determine the changes in the chain structure of the polymer and thus the properties of the final product under the conditions of this study. Any variation in the conditions of storage is reflected in the properties of the polymer. Stabilizers used under extractive conditions must be stable against hydrolysis and should trap oxygen centered radicals.     

DYE-SENSITIZED PHOTOOXIDATION OF 1,4-POLYDIENES

Abstract— The reaction of singlet oxygen with polydiene polymers produces hydroperoxides by the typical 'ene' type reaction. The observed chain scission process cannot be explained by the photodecom-position of hydroperoxide formed by visible light, because these hydroperoxides do not absorb light in this repion. Spectroscopic and EPR studies of the dye-solvent systems show the formation of reactive free radicals. which are probably responsible for the abstraction of hydrogen from the polymer molecules. The next step is the well known free radical oxidation mechanism which is responsible for the chain scission reactions.     

In situ electron spin resonance study of styrene grafting of electron irradiated fluoropolymer films for fuel cell membranes

Three different electron beam irradiated fluoropolymers (ETFE, FEP, and PVDF) as well as their grafting reactions with styrene in different diluents were investigated by means of electron spin resonance (ESR). Depending on the atmosphere during irradiation, ESR spectra of peroxy and alkyl radicals were observed. Radical decay as a function of time and temperature was investigated in the presence and absence of solvent. Grafting levels and number of monomer units per chain were calculated for both types of radicals. Irradiation atmosphere, grafting temperature, and added solvent affect the morphology of the fluoropolymers, in particular the crystalline versus amorphous fractions and their swelling. They thus influence the rate at which the initial radicals at the polymer backbone are reached during the grafting process. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 3323–3336, 2006     

On the reactivity of cellulose free radicals in graft copolymerization reactions

The formation and behavior of photo-and mechanoinduced free radicals in cellulose were studied by ESR spectroscopy and the capability of these free radicals to initiate graft copolymerization reactions was demonstrated. Although an 11-line ESR signal was detected from cellulose irradiated with ultraviolet (UV) light, a higher-intensity ESR signal with a five-line pattern was detected from a sample mechanically milled at 77 K. The decay of photoinduced free radicals when heated took place monotonously, whereas mechanoradicals exhibited an anomalous behavior with an increased signal intensity at 150 K before decaying at a higher temperature. Mechanoradicals have been found to react more efficiently and rapidly with oxygen and methyl methacrylate (MMA) than photoinduced free radicals. The peroxy mechanoradicals, however, were mobile and decayed more rapidly than the peroxy photoinduced radicals. Simultaneous graft copolymerizations of MMA to cellulose demonstrated that mechano-and photoinduced free radicals are capable of initiating grafting reactions, but a higher degree of grafting efficiency was obtained from cellulose treated mechanically.     

The magnetic isotope effect and oxygen isotope selection in chain processes of polymer oxidation

Experimental evidence based on the dependence of molecular oxygen isotope enrichment on the oxygen conversion, temperature and kinetic chain length indicate that, in chain processes of polymer oxidation, the elementary, reactions (recombination or disproportionation) of peroxy radicals are responsible for the selection of both ¹⁷O and ¹⁸O isotopes. The ¹⁷O selection is induced by a magnetic isotope effect and is sensitive to the molecular dynamics, while ¹⁸O selection is due to a classical mass-dependent isotope effect and is much less effective.