FUNCTIONALIZATION OF POLYPROPYLENE VIA MELT MIXING

Grafting of maleic anhydride (MAH) onto isotactic polypropylene (PP) was performed by melt mixing in a laboratory-scale internal mixer with the addition of dicumyl peroxide (DCP) as an initiator. The efficiency of the graft reaction (estimated by use of Fourier-transform infra-red spectroscopy) tends to decrease with increasing MAH or DCP content; the optimal composition for the present reaction system appeared to be at a low DCP level and a moderate MAH loading. Concurrent with the grafting reaction, PP undergoes significant chain scission as indicated by the decrease in mixing torque and supported by the dynamic rheological evidence. The first addition of MAH to the reaction mixture enhanced the DCP-initiated chain scission; upon further addition of MAH, the scission reaction became less severe. These observations were explained in terms of competition between chain transfer/beta scission and bimolecular coupling of radical intermediates.