Ethylene-releasing compounds, practical

In 1954 the surface fluorination of polyethylene sheets by using a soHd CO2 cooled heat sink was patented (44). Later patents covered the fluorination of PVC (45) and polyethylene bottles (46). Studies of surface fluorination of polymer films have been reported (47). The fluorination of polyethylene powder was described (48) as a fiery intense reaction, which was finally controlled by dilution with an inert gas at reduced pressures. Direct fluorination of polymers was achieved in 1970 (8,49). More recently, surface fluorinations of poly(vinyl fluoride), polycarbonates, polystyrene, and poly(methyl methacrylate), and the surface fluorination of containers have been described (50,51). Partially fluorinated poly(ethylene terephthalate) and polyamides such as nylon have excellent soil release properties as well as high wettabiUty (52,53). The most advanced direct fluorination technology in the area of single-compound synthesis and synthesis of high performance fluids is currently practiced by 3M Co. of St. Paul, Minnesota, and by Exfluor Research Corp. of Austin, Texas. 

We have observed that the radioactive contamination is practically independent of the temperature A9). We believe that this radioactive contamination is due to the presence of traces of radioactive polyethylene resulting from ethylene polymerization. Ethylene can result, in fact, from the disproportionation of C2Hs radicals released by decomposition of ethyl titanium compounds, which derive from the reaction between ethylalu-minum and traces of titanium tetrachloride or other tetravalent titanium compounds that are sometimes present as impurities in the a-titanium trichloride. 

Other studies also give an extensive analysis of by-product identification. The work of Dowideit and Von Sonntag [187] is a good example. These authors studied the ozonation of ethylene and some methyl- and chlorine-substituted derivatives. They showed that these compounds are practically removed via Criegge mechanism (see Fig. 3) to yield a carbonyl compound and a hydroxyhydroperoxide, which, in the case of chlorine-substituted derivatives, rapidly releases HC1. It should be remembered that in the case of saturated VOCs, hydroxyl radical is the main route of oxidation regardless of the presence of ozone. 

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