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.     

Post-gamma-irradiation grafting of polypropylene. Part II. Butadiene: E.S.R. experiments

ESR spectra of gamma irradiated annealed and quenched forms of polypropylene film have been studied at the temperatures used for post-irradiation grafting experiments with butadiene, described in Part I. On warming from low temperature there is radical loss by termination and some radical transformation to radicals with optimum stability in annealed polypropylene at approximately 45°C. These radicals, which may be allyl type, are sited at the crystal faces, and decay more rapidly at higher temperatures in annealed polypropylene; in quenced polypropylene their concentration never exceeds one third the optimum observed in annealed polypropylene. Correlation with the grafting experiments suggests that allyl radicals are important for long-term grafting. Effects on the ESR spectrum of adding butadiene to the system show that in the long-term butadiene adds exclusively to the allyl radicals and that alkyl radicals still present at that stage are precursors to the allyl radicals. They do not react directly with butadiene presumably because they are sited in the inaccessible crystal core. Experiments at lower temperature show that butadiene does react with alkyl radicals in accessible regions.     

Electron spin resonance study on chemical crosslinking reaction mechanisms of polyethylene using a chemical agent. V. Comparison with polypropylene and ethylene‐propylene copolymer

We studied the chemical reaction process of polypropylene (PP), ethylene‐propylene copolymer (EPM), and ethylene‐propylene‐diene copolymer (EPDM) crosslinking induced by dicumyl peroxide (DCP) using electron spin resonance (ESR). Free radicals appeared at an elevated temperature of around 120 °C and the behavior and kinetics of the reaction process were observed at 180 °C. The radical species detected in PP were alkyl type radicals, formed by the abstraction of hydrogen atoms from the tertiary carbon of polymer chains. For EPDM containing a diene component, the radicals were trapped at double bonds in this diene component to form allyl radicals. The resolutions of these spectra were extremely clear; hence, isotropic spectra of these polymer radicals were obtained. We measured the ESR at high temperatures and confirmed that the process of crosslinking induced by DCP was a free radical reaction. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 3383–3389, 2000     

On the reactivity of diethyl hydroxyl amine toward free radicals

Diethyl hydroxyl amine is an efficient trap for alkyl, alkoxy, and peroxy radicals. The specific rate constant for the reaction of ethyl radicals (gas phase, 25°C), tert-butoxy radicals (benzene solution, 115°C), and poly (peroxystyryl) peroxy radicals (styrene solution, 50°C) were evaluated as 7.2 × 10⁵, 7.7 × 10⁷, and 2.9 × 10⁵ M^?1·sec^?1, respectively. Several possible secondary reactions of the nitroxide radicals are discussed.     

The free radical species in polyacrylonitrile fibers induced by γ-radiation and their decay behaviors

Free radicals in vacuum, air and oxygen atmospheres were studied using electron spin resonance (ESR). Mainly two types of radicals, namely alkyl radicals and polyimine radicals, are formed in polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers after γ-ray irradiation. The G value of the radical formation was calculated to be 2.1 (number of radicals per 100 eV absorbed) in air at room temperature based on the ESR measurements. The radical stability and decay behaviors at room temperature and elevated temperatures were also investigated under different atmospheres. The alkyl radicals were found to be rather stable when stored in vacuum at room temperature, but they decayed via reaction with oxygen when stored in air. The alkyl radicals disappeared completely after a thermal treatment at 110 °C in vacuum, but only 15% of the polyimine radicals decayed; this indicates that polyimine radicals are more stable compared to the alkyl radicals due to their lower mobility.     

Production of radicals in polyoxymethylene by ultraviolet photolysis: An EPR study

Polyoxymethylene (POM) was photolyzed at 2537 and at 3130 Å at ?196°C. The EPR spectra of the radical intermediates were recorded. Photolysis in vacuo produces a small number of radicals, apparently due to the presence of traces of chromophores. Photolysis in oxygen, however, is a type of photo-oxidation. The radicals HCO, , CH₃·, and HOO· were detected and identified as intermediate products of photolysis. Hydrogen atoms and hydroxyl radicals were too reactive (i.e., mobile) at ?196°C to be observed. Alkoxy and alkyl radicals and the POM peroxy radical were probably formed as well but could not be characterized with certainty.     

A spreading model for the oxidation of polypropylene

A model for the heterogeneous oxidation of polypropylene (PP) is proposed in which it is considered that there is a small initial fraction, p_o, of oxidizing centres which have a high local rate of oxidation. Within these zones there is a free radical chain reaction producing secondary oxidation products, volatiles and chemiluminescence (CL) from peroxy radical termination reactions. These zones progressively spread (rate coefficient b/s⁻¹) and the free radical reactions die away within the volume of the original zones, producing a measurable concentration of oxidation products (rate coefficient α/s⁻¹). Analysis of the CL-time curve as representing the instantaneous infectious , fraction, p_i, in the spreading model enables the parameters p_o, b and α to be determined and profiles of the remaining fraction (p_r) and dead or oxidized fraction (p_d) constructed. Analysis of CL curves from 120°C to 150°C gives an activation energy for spreading in PP particles of 96kJ/mol. Both single particles and groups of particles of different types of PP have been examined and evidence is presented of rapid surface spreading of oxidation from particle to particle.     

Electron spin resonance study on chemical‐crosslinking reaction mechanisms of polyethylene using a chemical agent. VI. Effect of α‐methyl styrene dimer

The effect of α‐methyl styrene dimer (AMSD), which is used as a scorch retarder, on the reaction mechanisms of the chemical crosslinking of polyethylene (PE) with dicumyl peroxide (DCP) at high temperatures was investigated using electron spin resonance. When AMSD was added to PE containing DCP, the AMSD radical was observed; however, the PE alkyl radical or allyl radical presence was not detected. At 145 °C, crosslinking was obstructed as a result of the reaction between AMSD and alkyl radicals. As the temperature increased, AMSD fragmented to form 2‐phenyl‐2‐propyl and double bonds in PE. This generation of double bonds, however, accelerated crosslinking at 180 °C and was more effective than when AMSD was not present. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 39: 2151–2156, 2001     

Rate constants for the reactions of a series of alkylperoxy radicals with NO

The rate constants for the gas-phase reactions of isopropyl- and tert-butylperoxy radicals with nitric oxide (NO) have been studied at 298 +/- 2 K and a total pressure of 3-4 Torr (He buffer) using a laser flash photolysis technique coupled with a time-resolved negative-ionization mass spectrometry. The alkyl peroxy radicals were generated by the reaction of alkyl radicals with excess O(2), where alkyl radicals were prepared by laser photolysis of several precursor molecules. The rate constants were determined to be k(i-C(3)H(7)O(2) + NO) = (8.0 +/- 1.5) x 10(-12) and k(t-C(4)H(9)O(2) + NO) = (8.6 +/- 1.4) x 10(-12) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1). The results in combination with our previous studies are discussed in terms of the systematic reactivity of alkyl peroxy radicals toward NO.     

Electron spin resonance study of poly-3,3-bis(chloromethyl) oxetane irradiated with electron beams and ultraviolet light

Poly-3,3-bis(chloromethyl)oxetane (poly-BCMO) was irradiated at ?196°C with electron beams and ultraviolet light, and observed ESR spectra were compared. A three-line spectrum (coupling constant of about 21 gauss) and a two-line spectrum (coupling constant of about 18 gauss) were observed after irradiation with electron beams in vacuo. They were attributed to free radicals and respectively. On the other hand, a three-line spectrum (coupling constant of about 20 gauss) and an asymmetric singlet spectrum were observed after ultraviolet irradiation in vacuum. They were assigned to free radicals and ? CH₂? O·, respectively. Mechanisms of radical formation were discussed in each case. When poly-BCMO was irradiated with electron beams at ?196°C in the presence of air, peroxy radicals were produced after subsequent treatment at ?78°C. The reaction between alkyl radicals and oxygen molecules was found to be diffusion-controlled.     

Polymerization of diethylene glycol bis(allyl carbonate) by means of di-sec-butyl peroxydicarbonate

The initial stages of the free radical polymerization of diethylene glycol bis(allyl carbonate) at temperatures of 35–65°C have been studied. The polymer is unsaturated and cyclization to give a 16-membered ring occurs only to a small extent. The kinetic order with respect to the initiator, di-sec-butyl peroxydicarbonate, has an average value of 0.79; the order increases slightly with peroxydicarbonate concentration over the range 0.018–0.22M. The molecular weight of the polymer isolated after 3% polymerization is close to 19,000. It shows no significant dependence on initiator concentration or on temperature. The dominant feature of the bulk polymerization, as in free radical polymerization of the other allyl and diallyl monomers, is degradative chain transfer in which the growing polymer radical abstracts a hydrogen atom from a monomer unit to give a relatively unreactive allylic radical. The dependence of rate on initiator concentration is rationalized if some of these allylic radicals are able to reinitiate polymerization. The transfer constant to monomer is 0.014 at 50°C, assuming that the main termination step involves mutual termination of allylic radicals. Carbon tetrachloride is an active transfer agent with a transfer constant of 0.20 ± 0.04 at 50°C. Toluene, which is less active, has a transfer constant of 0.0064 at 50°C and also retards the polymerization. Some kinetic studies have been made with other initiators, including di-2-methyl-pentanoyl peroxide which initiates polymerization at temperatures as low as 13°C.     

An oxyluminescence investigation of the auto-oxidation of nylon 66

The kinetics of the thermal oxidation of stabilised and unstabilised nylon 66 fibres and films have been studied by photon counting oxyluminescence methods from 50°C to 150°C. The activation energies for initiation (E₁), propagation (E₃) and termination (E₅) over this temperature range are: E₁ = 16 kcal mol^?1, E₃ = 17·5 kcal mol^?1 and E₅ ≈ 12 kcal mol^?1. The extent of orientation of the polymer does not change the nature of the oxyluminescence curve or E₃ and E₅ above 110°C.Significant losses of critical mechanical properties of the fibres occur in the induction period at 100°C and non-stationary kinetics are described to enable this region to be studied by oxyluminescence. The oxidation rate in the induction period and the limiting rate region in air is one-third the rate in oxygen at atmospheric pressure. Non-stationary methods show that alkyl radical reactions are competitive with alkyl peroxy radical formation in air over the temperature range 100°C to 140°C. This affects the course of the oxidation reaction and the stabiliser efficiency and explains the observation of unsaturated oxidation products by phosphorescence spectroscopy.     

Polymerization of styrene in presence of masticated rubber

The influence of the concentration of hydroperoxide (peroxide) groups in rubber (formed during mastication) and the influence of concentration of rubber on the polymerization of styrene were studied at 95, 105, 115 and 130°. The retardation effect of rubber (or non-rubber ingredients) is also due to the participation of less reactive (allylic) radicals from rubber on the termination. The derived kinetic relations allows calculation of a complex constant B* and the rate constant of decomposition of -OOH groups of rubber (k_d) at various temperatures; the latter are essentially smaller than those in masticated rubber. From kinetic analysis of experimental results, it follows that, during the polymerization of styrene in the presence of rubber, two types of rubber radicals can be formed, viz. a less reactive allylic radical and a more reactive alkyl radical.     

Oxidation of hydrocarbons in the presence of added hydroperoxide. On the determination of rate constants by the hydroperoxide method

Oxidation of tetralin in the presence of tert-butyl hydroperoxide and tetralyl hydroperoxide, initiated with azobisisobutyronitrile, was studied at 60°C in order to examine the complications involved in the hydroperoxide method devised by Howard and Ingold. From literature data on absolute rate constants and our rates of oxidation, cross termination rate constants and contributions of each elementary propagation and termination step were computed. It was confirmed that this method was quite useful in determining the cross propagation rate constant, but it was also demonstrated that the rate of oxidation should be measured at very low conversion and with quite high concentrations of hydroperoxide, especially when the peroxy radical derived from the added hydroperoxide has a much lower termination rate constant than that from the oxidizing substrate.     

Origin of substituent effects in the absorption spectra of peroxy radicals: time dependent density functional theory calculations.

We investigate the assignment of electronic transitions in alkyl peroxy radicals. Past experimental work has shown that the phenyl peroxy radical exhibits a transition in the visible region; however, previous high level calculations have not reproduced this observed absorption. We use time dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) to characterize the electronic excitations of the phenyl peroxy radical as well as other hydrocarbon substituted peroxy radicals. TDDFT calculations of the phenyl peroxy radical support an excitation in the visible spectrum. Further, we investigate the nature of this visible absorption using electron attachment/detachment density diagrams of the peroxy radicals and present a qualitative picture of the origin of the visible absorption based on molecular orbital perturbations. The peroxy radical substituent is also compared against isoelectronic radical groups. The visible absorption is determined to be dependent on mixing of the alkyl and radical substituent orbitals.     

Plasma surface graft of N,N-dimethylacrylamide onto porous polypropylene membrane

Plasma graft onto microporous polypropylene (PP) membranes was studied. PP substrates had 0.45 μ of average pore size and 80 to 150 μ thickness and monomer for graft was N,N-dimethylacrylamide. Even by short exposure to argon and hydrogen plasmas less than 10 s, post graft polymerization was very fast. Grafting layer could be distinguished from relatively less-grafted portion by electron microscopy. However, graft was, more or less, noticed to form over cross-section of substrate. Plasmas were excited by 13.56 MHz radio frequency source and the wattage less than 10 W was usually enough to prevent PP from heat damage. Grafting rate was dependent on plasma-exposure time. For argon plasma at 10 W, 0.1 Torr (13.3 Pa), grafting rate decreased after maximum rate was observed at 10 s exposure. Analysis by electron spin resonance (ESR) revealed that relationship between spin concentration and irradiation time was somewhat different from reported data on polyethylene substrate. Alkyl radicals showing an eight-line-signal on ESR spectra were rapidly converted to peroxy radicals in air at almost 100%-yield. Both kinds of radicals could initiate graft, and alkyl radicals were found more active. Apparent activation energies were estimated to be 14.2 and 7.9 kcal/mol for graft polymerizations initiated by peroxy and alkyl radicals, respectively. Thermal analysis and X-ray diffraction revealed that graft may exist not only inner and outer surfaces but also in bulk region of substrate. For substrates more than 1000% grafted, even crystalline region was destroyed completely. Diffusion or absorption of monomer into bulk may be an important factor to support growth of graft polymer.     

Thermochemical properties, DeltafH degrees (298), S degrees (298), and Cp degrees (T), for n-butyl and n-pentyl hydroperoxides and the alkyl and peroxy radicals, transition states, and kinetics for intramolecular hydrogen shift reactions of the peroxy radicals

Alkyl radicals in atmospheric and combustion environments undergo a rapid association with molecular oxygen (3O2) to form an alkyl peroxy radical (ROO*). One important reaction of these peroxy radicals is the intramolecular H-shift (intramolecular abstraction) to form a hydroperoxide alkyl radical (R'*COOH), where the hydroperoxide alkyl radical may undergo chemical activation reaction with O2 and result in chain branching at moderate to low temperatures. The thermochemistry and trends in kinetic parameters for the hydrogen shift reactions from each carbon (4-8-member-ring TST's) in n-butyl and n-pentyl peroxy radicals (CCCCOO* and CCCCCOO*) are analyzed using density functional and ab initio calculation methods. Thermochemical properties, DeltafH degrees (298 K), C-H bond energies, S degrees (298 K), and Cp degrees (T) of saturated linear C4 and C5 aliphatic peroxides (ROOH), as well as the corresponding hydroperoxide alkyl radicals (R'*COOH), are determined. DeltafH degrees (298 K) are obtained from isodesmic reactions and the total energies of the CBS-QB3 and B3LYP computational methods. Contributions to the entropy and the heat capacity from translation, vibration, and external rotation are calculated using the rigid-rotor-harmonic-oscillator approximation based on the CBS-QB3 frequencies and structures. The results indicate that pre-exponential factors, A(T), decrease with the increase of the ring size (4-8-member-ring TS, H-atom included). The DeltaH for 4-, 5-, 6-, and 7-member rings in n-butyl (and n-pentyl) peroxy are 40.8 (40.8), 31.4 (31.5), 20.5 (20.0), 22.6-p (19.4) kcal mol(-1), respectively. The DeltaH for the 8-member ring in n-pentylperoxy is 23.8-p kcal mol(-1), All abstractions are from secondary (-CH2-) groups except those marked (-p), which are from primary sites. Enthalpy and barrier values from the B3LYP/6-311++G(2d,p) and BHandHLYP/6-311G(d,p) methods are compared with CBS-QB3 results. The B3LYP results show good agreement with the higher level CBS-QB3 calculation method; the BHandH barriers for the intramolecular peroxy H-shifts are not acceptable.     

Effect of primary radical termination on chain length and initiator efficiency

In polymerization with primary radical termination, when reaction between primary radicals, which escape from solvent cage, is not negligible, a relation between chain length and polymerization rate is found regardless of tractable approximate procedures. Such a relation is applied to the kinetic data obtained in the polymerizations of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and vinyl acetate (VA) initiated by 2,2′-azobis(2,4-valeronitrile) at 50.0°C. Further, when the primary radical termination is high, an initiator efficiency can not be approximated to a ratio of the primary radicals escaping from the cage to the total primary radicals formed in the cage. In the polymerization of MMA, after the primary radicals escapes from the cage, they immediately react with the monomer. Thus, the reaction between the primary radicals is not significant. However, in the polymerization of VA, the rate of reaction between the primary radical and the monomer might be comparable to the rate of reaction between the primary radicals when the initiator concentration is quite high.     

Thermo-oxidation of polypropylene in the presence of PbO

A significant retardation effect by PbO on the formation of volatile products from isotactic polypropylene (IPP) was found at temperatures up to 380°C. The effect is explained by the formation of a surface active form of PbO (possibly Pb₃O₄) which is formed by interaction of PbO with peroxy radicals. Primary and secondary alkyl radicals terminate effectively on the active surface and the kinetic length of the degradation reaction is thus decreased.A compensation effect exists between the Arrhenius parameters ln A and E for both inhibited and uninhibited formation of volatile products.     

Hydrogen‐bond‐assisted stereocontrol in the radical polymerization of N‐isopropylacrylamide with secondary alkyl phosphate: The effect of the bulkiness of the ester group

The radical polymerization of N‐isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) in toluene at low temperatures was investigated in the presence of triisopropyl phosphate (TiPP). The addition of TiPP induced a syndiotactic specificity that was enhanced by the polymerization temperature being lowered, whereas atactic polymers were obtained in the absence of TiPP, regardless of the temperature. Syndiotactic‐rich poly(NIPAAm) with a racemo dyad content of 65% was obtained at ?60 °C with a fourfold amount of TiPP, but almost atactic poly(NIPAAm)s were obtained by the temperature being lowered to ?80 °C. This result contrasted with the result in the presence of primary alkyl phosphates, such as tri‐n‐propyl phosphate: the stereospecificity varied from syndiotactic to isotactic as the polymerization temperature was lowered. NMR analysis at ?80 °C revealed that TiPP predominantly formed a 1:1 complex with NIPAAm, although primary alkyl phosphates preferentially formed a 1:2 complex with NIPAAm. Thus, it was concluded that a slight increase in the bulkiness of the added phosphates influenced the stoichiometry of the NIPAAm–phosphate complex at lower temperatures, and consequently a drastic change in the effect on the stereospecificity of NIPAAm polymerization was observed. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 3899–3908, 2005