Peroxide-containing compatibilizer for polypropylene blends with other polymers

An approach to synthesize interfacial active peroxide graft copolymers, so called precompatibilizers, which are suitable for the universal compatibilization of one special polymer with a number of other polymers, has been presented. As example, this approach is illustrated by the reactive fusion of a random peroxide copolymer (VO) with polypropylene (PP) resulting in a VOgPP precompatibilizer. A mathematical model of the process of the VOgPP synthesis and the conduction of a full-factorial experiment have allowed both the optimization of the synthesis conditions and the prediction of its proceeding. During blending PP with other polymers VOgPP localizes across the blend interphases and initiates radical processes leading to the in situ formation of final compatibilizer macromolecules, which are efficient just for the blends where they are formed. The universality of the precompatibilizer concept is demonstrated in PP blends of the thermoplastic/thermoplastic type (with polystyrene and polyethylene) and of the thermoplastic/thermoset type (with unsaturated polyester resin).