Etude par RMN 13C à 62,89 MHz des branchements éthyles dans les copolymères ethylène-butène et polyéthylène basse densité

Carbon 13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectra (at 62,89 MHz) were obtained for a series of branched heavy alcanes (12-ethyl tricosane, 11,20-diethyl tricontane, 11,18-diethyl octacosane, 11,17-diethyl heptacosane, 11,16-diethyl hexacosane, 9,12-diethyl heneicosane, 5,7-diethyl docosane, 6,7-diethyl docosane, 2 éthyl-hexyl-12 tricosane), which provide a model set for describing the ethyl branched sequences in ethylene butene copolymers and low-density polyethylene (LDPE). For ethylene-butene copolymers we do not detect any head-to-head polymerization of butene as reported recently (the existence of a 1,2-ethyl pair has not been confirmed by the low-field signal at 41,3 ppm), but only isolated ethyl and 1-3-diethyl branches. The three peaks observed in the methyl region (broad signal) of the spectrum are assigned to butene centered triads, as opposed to branches in positions having different tacticities as reported earlier. Carbon 13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of high-pressure polymerized low-density polyethylene have been measured at 62,89 MHz. On the basis of Willbourn's double back biting mechanism, two kinds of complex branches, the 1,3-ethyl pair and 2-ethyl-hexyl, have been assigned. Finally, these results suggest that the ethyl branches in low-density polyethylene are not isolated branches.