Oxidation of polypropylene in benzene solution

The oxidation of both amorphous and crystalline polypropylene in benzene solution was studied at 100–130°C. tert-Butyl peroxide was used as an initiator. The kinetic behavior of the amorphous and crystalline forms differs slightly; the oxidation rate of the amorphous type is slower for a given polymer and initiator concentration. The oxidation rate of solutions of the crystalline form can be simply described by the expression: R₀ = 1.87 × 10¹³ exp {?29,000/RT} [t-Bu₂O₂]^0.58[polypropylene]^0.73, mole/l.-min. Product analyses of the oxidized solutions are incomplete, but the results do show that only ～40% of the absorbed oxygen is present as hydroperoxide. Further, much of the hydroperoxide is present in low molecular weight polar fragments which are acetone-soluble. These results show that oxidized polypropylene cannot be regarded simply as “polypropylene hydroperoxide” with repeating hydroperoxide groups attached to the polymer chain in 1,3,5… (tertiary) positions.