| Abstract: | Heterogeneous grafting on polyvinylchloride suspended in water was carried out using N-butyl-3-mercaptopropionamide as nucleophile. Over 50% graft was obtained by using a small amount of solvent as a swelling agent and tricapryl methyl ammonium chloride as a phase transfer catalyst. Elemental analysis of the grafted polymer shows that the chlorine displaced from the polymers is replaced by the thio-amide group. The above conclusion is supported by NMR and IR analysis. The kinetics of the chlorine displacement from PVC by the thio amide group obeys the Shell progressive mechanism. The rate at which an individual spherical particle reacts depends on the diffusion through the reacted layer. The grafted polymer is soluble in tetrahydrofuran or nitrobenzene. The films obtained from the grafted material are brittle due to excessive internal hydrogen bonding. The electrostatic charge which is a characteristic surface phenomena in PVC is diminished in the grafted polymer which may be due to the existence of the amide group near the surface. The amide groups attached to the side chains on the polymer may participate in various reactions, e.g., with epoxy resins. IR analysis of the cured film indicates the disappearance of the oxiran band at 913 cm?1 and an increase in the hydroxyl band around 3300 cm?1. Thus, grafting of amide groups on PVC enables us to further modify PVC by epoxy resins. |
