Aging and degradation of polyolefins. I. Peroxide‐initiated oxidations of atactic polypropylene

Abstract Efficiencies of polymer radical production by thermal decomposition of di‐ tert ‐butylperoxy oxalate (DBPO) have been measured in bulk atactic polypropylene (PP) at 25–55°C; they range from 1 to 26%, depending on [DBPO], temperature, and presence of oxygen. Most of the polymer radicals thus produced disproportionate in the absence of oxygen but form peroxy radicals in its presence. Most of the pairs of peroxy radicals interact by a first‐order reaction in the polymer cage. The fraction that escapes gives hydroperoxide in a reaction that is half order in rate of initiation. In interactions of polymer peroxy radicals, in or out of the cage, about one‐third give dialkyl peroxides and immediate chain termination, two‐thirds give alkoxy radicals. About one‐third of the later cleave at 45°C; the rest abstract hydrogen to give hydroxy groups and new polymer and polymer peroxy radicals. The primary peroxy radicals from cleavage account for the rest of the chain termination. Cleavage of alkoxy radicals and crosslinking of PP through dialkyl peroxides nearly compensate. Up to 70% of the oxygen absorbed has been found in hydroperoxides. The formation of these can be completely inhibited, but cage reactions are unaffected by inhibitors. Concentrations of free polymer peroxy radicals have been measured by electron spin resonance and found to be very high, about 10 −3 M at 58–63°C. Comparison with results on 2,4‐dimethylpentane indicate that rate constants for both chain propagation and termination in the polymer are much smaller than those for the model hydrocarbon but that the ratio, k p /(2 k t ) ½ , is about the same.