Polymers ethylene propylene copolymers

The weight percent propylene in ethylene-propylene copolymers for different Ziegler-Natta catalysts was measuredt for the initial polymer produced from identical feedstocks. The following results were obtained ... 

Many cellular plastics that have not reached significant commercial use have been introduced or their manufacture described in Hterature. Examples of such polymers are chlorinated or chlorosulfonated polyethylene, a copolymer of vinyUdene fluoride and hexafluoropropylene, polyamides (4), polytetrafluoroethylene (5), styrene—acrylonitrile copolymers (6,7), polyimides (8), and ethylene—propylene copolymers (9). 

Organic peroxides are used in the polymer industry as thermal sources of free radicals. They are used primarily to initiate the polymerisation and copolymerisation of vinyl and diene monomers, eg, ethylene, vinyl chloride, styrene, acryUc acid and esters, methacrylic acid and esters, vinyl acetate, acrylonitrile, and butadiene (see Initiators). They ate also used to cute or cross-link resins, eg, unsaturated polyester—styrene blends, thermoplastics such as polyethylene, elastomers such as ethylene—propylene copolymers and terpolymers and ethylene—vinyl acetate copolymer, and mbbets such as siUcone mbbet and styrene-butadiene mbbet. 

Combination techniques such as microscopy—ftir and pyrolysis—ir have helped solve some particularly difficult separations and complex identifications. Microscopy—ftir has been used to determine the composition of copolymer fibers (22) polyacrylonitrile, methyl acrylate, and a dye-receptive organic sulfonate trimer have been identified in acryHc fiber. Both normal and grazing angle modes can be used to identify components (23). Pyrolysis—ir has been used to study polymer decomposition (24) and to determine the degree of cross-linking of sulfonated divinylbenzene—styrene copolymer (25) and ethylene or propylene levels and ratios in ethylene—propylene copolymers (26). 

The use of TAG as a curing agent continues to grow for polyolefins and olefin copolymer plastics and mbbers. Examples include polyethylene (109), chlorosulfonated polyethylene (110), polypropylene (111), ethylene—vinyl acetate (112), ethylene—propylene copolymer (113), acrylonitrile copolymers (114), and methylstyrene polymers (115). In ethylene—propylene copolymer mbber compositions. TAG has been used for injection molding of fenders (116). Unsaturated elastomers, such as EPDM, cross link with TAG by hydrogen abstraction and addition to double bonds in the presence of peroxyketal catalysts (117) (see Elastol rs, synthetic). 

Two random copolymers of this type are of importance, ethylene-propylene copolymers and ethylene-but-l-ene copolymers. The use and properties of polypropylene containing a small quantity of ethylene in stereoblocks within the molecule has already been discussed. Although referred to commercially as ethylene-propylene copolymers these materials are essentially slightly modified polypropylene. The random ethylene-propylene polymers are rubbery and are discussed further in Section 11.9. 

FIGURE 1.12 Master curve of tear energy Gc versus rate R of tear propagation at Tg for three cross-linked elastomers polybutadiene (BR, Tg — —96°C) ethylene-propylene copolymer (EPR, Tg — —60°C) a high-styrene-styrene-butadiene rubber copolymer (HS-SBR, Tg — —30°C). (From Gent, A.N. and Lai, S.-M., J. Polymer Sci., Part B Polymer Phys., 32, 1543, 1994. With permission.)... 

More recently, two-state E/B models have been proposed by Chujo and Doi (9.10) for the analysis of polypropylene. Similar E/B models were proposed by Cheng(11) and Asakura, et al(12) for polybutylene. For copolymers, two-state B/B models have been proposed for ethylene-propylene copolymers,(11,13-15) and propylene-butylene copolymers.(11,13) Recently, Cheng(11) generalized these multi-state models and developed computer methodology for the general analysis of such systems. A number of polymer systems were treated. 

Since the excellent work of Moore and Watson (6, who cross-linked natural rubber with t-butylperoxide, most workers have assumed that physical cross-links contribute to the equilibrium elastic properties of cross-linked elastomers. This idea seems to be fully confirmed in work by Graessley and co-workers who used the Langley method on radiation cross-linked polybutadiene (.7) and ethylene-propylene copolymer (8) to study trapped entanglements. Two-network results on 1,2-polybutadiene (9.10) also indicate that the equilibrium elastic contribution from chain entangling at high degrees of cross-linking is quantitatively equal to the pseudoequilibrium rubber plateau modulus (1 1.) of the uncross-linked polymer. 

For example, a PE-fe-poly(ethylene-co-propylene) diblock composed of crystalline PE and amorphous ethylene/propylene copolymer segments was synthesized from ethylene and ethylene/propylene. The addition of MAO and Ti-FI catalyst 40 (Fig. 25) to an ethylene-saturated toluene at 25 °C resulted in the rapid formation of a living PE (Mn 115,000, MJMn 1.10). The addition of ethylene/propylene (1 3 volume ratio) to this living PE formed a PE-/>poly(ethylcnc-co-propylcnc) block copolymer (Mn 211,000, MJMn 1.16, propylene content 6.4 mol%) [30], As expected, the polymer exhibits a high Tm of 123 °C, indicating that this block copolymer shows good elastic properties at much higher temperatures than the conventional random copolymers of similar densities. 

Patri, M., Hande, V. R., Phadnis, S. and Deb, P. C. 2004. Radiation-grafted solid polymer electrolyte membrane thermal and mechanical properties of sulfonated fluormated ethylene propylene copolymer (FEP)-graft-acrylic acid membranes. Polymers for Advanced Technologies 15 622-627. 

Phadnis, S., Patri, M., Chandrasekhar, L. and Deb, P. C. 2005. Proton-exchange membranes via the grafting of styrene and acrylic acid onto fluorinated ethylene propylene copolymer by a preirradiation technique. III. Thermal and mechanical properties of the membranes and their sulfonated derivatives. Journal of Applied Polymer Science 97 1418-1425. 

Initiators such as BPO are used not only for the initiation of chain reaction polymerization, but also for the curing of polyesters and ethylene-propylene copolymers, and for the grafting of styrene on elastomeric polymer chains. 

Absorption due to main intermediates such as polymer cation radicals and excited states, electrons, and alkyl radicals of saturated hydrocarbon polymers had not been observed for a long time by pulse radiolysis [39]. In 1989, absorption due to the main intermediates was observed clearly in pulse radiolysis of saturated hydrocarbon polymer model compounds except for electrons [39,48]. In 1989, the broad absorption bands due to polymer excited states in the visible region and the tail parts of radical cation and electrons were observed in pulse radiolysis of ethylene-propylene copolymers and the decay of the polymer radical cations were clearly observed [49]. Recently, absorption band due to electrons in saturated hydrocarbon polymer model compounds was observed clearly by pulse radiolysis [49] as shown in Fig. 2. In addition, very broad absorption bands in the infrared region were observed clearly in the pulse radiolysis of ethylene-propylene copolymers [50] as shown in Fig. 3. Radiation protection effects [51] and detailed geminate ion recombination processes [52] of model compounds were studied by nano-, pico-, and subpicosecond pulse radiolyses. 

PVC, another widely used polymer for wire and cable insulation, crosslinks under irradiation in an inert atmosphere. When irradiated in air, scission predominates.To make cross-linking dominant, multifunctional monomers, such as trifunctional acrylates and methacrylates, must be added. Fluoropolymers, such as copol5miers of ethylene and tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), or polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and polyvinyl fluoride (PVF), are widely used in wire and cable insulations. They are relatively easy to process and have excellent chemical and thermal resistance, but tend to creep, crack, and possess low mechanical stress at temperatures near their melting points. Radiation has been found to improve their mechanical properties and crack resistance. Ethylene propylene rubber (EPR) has also been used for wire and cable insulation. When blended with thermoplastic polyefins, such as low density polyethylene (LDPE), its processibility improves significantly. The typical addition of LDPE is 10%. Ethylene propylene copolymers and terpolymers with high PE content can be cross-linked by irradiation. ... 

Natural Rubber and Synthetic Polyisoprene Polybutadiene and Its Copolymers Polyisobutylene and Its Copolymers Ethylene-Propylene Copolymers and Terpolymers Polychloroprene Silicone Elastomers Fluorocarbon Elastomers Fluorosilicone Elastomers Electron Beam Processing of Liquid Systems Grafting and Other Polymer Modifications... 

Films made from TPX exhibit an insufficient heat sealability. A widely adopted solution for improving such insufficient heat sealability is addition of a low density poly(ethylene) (LDPE) homopolymer or an ethylene propylene copolymer. However, the addition of these polymers only result in little improvement in their heat sealability. Instead, the addition results in poor dispersion and deteriorated impact resistance (23). 

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