Decomposers, peroxide

Sulfur dioxide and sulfuric acid, both of which are also active hydroperoxide decomposers, are formed at the ultimate stage of transformation. 

Organic phosphites are very effective hydroperoxide decomposers. Their peroxi-dolytic activity results from a sacrificial transformation of phosphite (trivalent) to phosphate (pentavalent), according to the general reaction scheme in Eq. (93). 

Many PD antioxidants that contain sulfur are ineffective light stabilisers and some even act as photoprooxidants. However, the nickel dithiocarbamates (NiDRC) and the analogous dithiophosphates 

---

Aqueous solutions of hydrogen peroxide decompose slowly the decomposition is catalysed by alkalis, by light and by heterogeneous catalysts, for example dust, platinum black and manganese... 

Peroxide-decomposing antioxidants destroy hydroperoxides, the sources of free radicals in polymers. Phosphites and thioesters such as tris(nonylphenyl) phosphite, distearyl pentaerythritol diphosphite, and dialkyl thiodipropionates are examples of peroxide-decomposing antioxidants. 

Hindered amines, such as 4-(2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyl) decanedioate, serve as radical scavengers and will protect thin Aims under conditions in which ultraviolet absorbers are ineffective. Metal salts of nickel, such as dibutyldithiocarbamate, are used in polyolefins to quench singlet oxygen or elecbonically excited states of other species in the polymer. Zinc salts function as peroxide decomposers. 

Peroxide curing systems Peroxide decomposers Peroxide initiators Peroxides... 

Solvent polarity also affects the rate of peroxide decomposition. Most peroxides decompose faster in more polar or polari2able solvents. This is tme even if the peroxide is not generally susceptible to higher order decomposition reactions. This phenomenon is illustrated by various half-life data for tert-huty peroxypivalate [927-07-1]. The 10-h half-life temperature for tert-huty peroxypivalate varies from 62°C in decane (nonpolar) to 55°C in ben2ene (polari2able) and 53°C in methanol (polar). 

Lithium Peroxide. Lithium peroxide [12031 -80-0] Li202, is obtained by reaction of hydrogen peroxide and lithium hydroxide in ethanol (72) or water (73). Lithium peroxide, which is very stable as long as it is not exposed to heat or air, reacts rapidly with atmospheric carbon dioxide releasing oxygen. The peroxide decomposes to the oxide at temperatures above 300°C at atmospheric pressure, and below 300°C under vacuum. 

Because di-/ fZ-alkyl peroxides are less susceptible to radical-induced decompositions, they are safer and more efficient radical generators than primary or secondary dialkyl peroxides. They are the preferred dialkyl peroxides for generating free radicals for commercial appHcations. Without reactive substrates present, di-/ fZ-alkyl peroxides decompose to generate alcohols, ketones, hydrocarbons, and minor amounts of ethers, epoxides, and carbon monoxide. Photolysis of di-/ fZ-butyl peroxide generates / fZ-butoxy radicals at low temperatures (75), whereas thermolysis at high temperatures generates methyl radicals by P-scission (44). 

R = alkyl, R = H) can be condensed, using acid, dehydrating agents (eg, phosphoms pentoxide), or vacuum to form polymeric peroxides (3). Most such polymeric peroxides decompose explosively. 

Mostof these peroxides decompose on melting, some violendy. nj" = 1.4340. 

Most of the hsted peroxides decompose at mp some decompose violendy. Ref. 195. 

Of these diacyl peroxides the ones that generate the most stable radicals (R ) are the most unstable diacyl peroxides. Most other diacyl peroxides decompose by competing free-radical and polar decomposition, ie, carboxy iaversion (188). Carboxy iaversion occurs to a much greater extent with certain diacyl peroxides having unsymmetrical diacyl peroxide stmctures (52,187,188,199) ... 

Cychc diacyl peroxides decompose thermally and photolyticaHy to yield products derived from diradical intermediates (188,198,205) (eq. 31). 

These peroxides also form 1 1 adducts with styrene and form hydroben2oin diarenesulfonates with stilbenes. Di(ben2enesulfonyl) peroxide decomposes in water to phenol and sulfuric acid (33). 

Peroxides decompose when heated to produce active free radicals which ia turn react with the mbber to produce cross-links. The rate of peroxide cure is coatroUed by temperature and selection of the specific peroxide, based on half-hfe considerations (see Initiators, free-RADICAL Peroxy compounds, organic). Although some chemicals, such as bismaleimides, triaHyl isocyanurate, and diaHyl phthalate, act as coagents ia peroxide cures, they are aot vulcanisation accelerators. lastead they act to improve cross-link efftcieacy (cross-linking vs scissioa), but aot rate of cross-link formatioa. 

Rubber Chemicals. Sodium nitrite is an important raw material in the manufacture of mbber processing chemicals. Accelerators, retarders, antioxidants (qv), and antiozonants (qv) are the types of compounds made using sodium nitrite. Accelerators, eg, thiuram [137-26-8J, greatly increase the rate of vulcaniza tion and lead to marked improvement in mbber quaUty. Retarders, on the other hand (eg, /V-nitrosodiphenylamine [156-10-5]) delay the onset of vulcanization but do not inhibit the subsequent process rate. Antioxidants and antiozonants, sometimes referred to as antidegradants, serve to slow the rate of oxidation by acting as chain stoppers, transfer agents, and peroxide decomposers. A commonly used antioxidant is A/,AT-disubstituted Nphenylenediamine which can employ sodium nitrite in its manufacture (see Rubber chemicals). 

On the downside, various studies (23—25) have shown that hydrogen peroxide decomposes rapidly after soil contact, it is cytotoxic at a 3% solution and unless stabilized, oxygen bubbles can escape prematurely through the unsaturated zone before they have a chance to disperse well in the ground water. 

Thermally induced homolytic decomposition of peroxides and hydroperoxides to free radicals (eqs. 2—4) increases the rate of oxidation. Decomposition to nonradical species removes hydroperoxides as potential sources of oxidation initiators. Most peroxide decomposers are derived from divalent sulfur and trivalent phosphoms. 

Phosphites Tris-(p-nonylphenyl) phosphite (X) No Widely used in conjunction with conventional stabilisers (q.v.) in PVC. Some types appear to be useful heat and light stabilisers in polyolefins. Function primarily as peroxide decomposers rather than chain-breaking antioxidants. 

Materials that promote the decomposition of organic hydroperoxide to form stable products rather than chain-initiating free radicals are known as peroxide decomposers. Amongst the materials that function in this way may be included a number of mercaptans, sulphonic acids, zinc dialkylthiophosphate and zinc dimethyldithiocarbamate. There is also evidence that some of the phenol and aryl amine chain-breaking antioxidants may function in addition by this mechanism. In saturated hydrocarbon polymers diauryl thiodipropionate has achieved a preeminent position as a peroxide decomposer. 

Amongst other materials sometimes used as deactivators are, l,8-bis(salicyli-deneamino)-3,6-dithiaoctane and certain p-phenylenediamine derivatives. It is interesting to note that the last named materials also function as chain-breaking antioxidants and in part as peroxide decomposers. 

In antioxidants, synergism appears to arise either from one antioxidant effectively regenerating another so that the latter does not become consumed or by the two antioxidants functioning by differing mechanisms. The latter is more important and it is easy to see how effective a combination of peroxide decomposer and chain-breaking antioxidant can be. 

The peroxide decomposer will drastically reduce the number of radicals, which can then be more effectively mopped up by the chain-breaking materials. A widely used combination is 4-methyl-2,6,di-t-butylphenol and dilauryl thiodipropionate. It is possible to envisage most powerful combinations where a chain-breaking antioxidant, a regenerating agent, a peroxide decomposer, a metal deactivator and an ultraviolet absorber are all employed together. 

The peroxide decomposes at elevated temperatures to give free radicals, which then abstract a hydrogen atom from the methyl group. The radicals formed then combine to form a hydrocarbon linkage. Results obtained by reacting model systems with benzoyl peroxide and analysing the reaction products are consistent with this type of mechanism. ... 

The thermal decompositions described above are unimolecular reactions that should exhibit first-order kinetics. Under many conditions, peroxides decompose at rates faster than expected for unimolecular thermal decomposition and with more complicated kinetics. This behavior is known as induced decomposition and occurs when part of the peroxide decomposition is the result of bimolecular reactions with radicals present in solution, as illustrated below specifically for diethyl peroxide. 

The spiro peroxide A, which is readily prepared from cyclohexanone and hydrogen peroxide, decomposes thermally to give substantial amounts of cyclodecane (B) and... 

The thermal decomposition of diacyl peroxides has been the most frequently employed process for the generation of alkyl radicals. The rate and products of the unimolecular decomposition of acetyl peroxide have been the subject of many studies. Acetyl peroxide decomposes at a convenient rate at 70-80°C both in the solution and in the gas... 

The early work of Kennerly and Patterson [16] on catalytic decomposition of hydroperoxides by sulphur-containing compounds formed the basis of the preventive (P) mechanism that complements the chain breaking (CB) process. Preventive antioxidants (sometimes referred to as secondary antioxidants), however, interrupt the second oxidative cycle by preventing or inhibiting the generation of free radicals [17]. The most important preventive mechanism is the nonradical hydroperoxide decomposition, PD. Phosphite esters and sulphur-containing compounds, e.g., AO 13-18, Table la are the most important classes of peroxide decomposers. 

---