Stabilizers mercaptides

Allylic Chloride vs. tert-Chloride Reactivity. There is some question in the literature as to whether the allylic chloride moiety or ferf-chloride group is more responsible for the thermal instability of poly (vinyl chloride) (I, 2). To shed some light on this problem we compared the relative reactivities at 100 °C. in chlorobenzene of 4-chloro-2-pentene and 2-chloro-2-methylbutane with dibutyltin -mercaptopropionate. Data are summarized in Table I. The half-time for the reaction of the allylic chloride with the stabilizer mercaptide group was less than 15 minutes, whereas the half-time for the tert-chloride was nearly 20 times longer. The greater reactivity of the allyl chloride suggests that it is the more important functionality in polymer degradation. However, these results on rates of chlorine substitution are not necessarily an exact measure of thermal instability. 

Stabilizer Synthesis. The selected alkyltin chloiide intermediate reacts with either a carboxyhc acid or a mercaptan in the presence of an appropriate base, such as sodium hydroxide, to yield the alkyltin carboxylate or alkyltin mercaptide heat stabihzet. Alternatively, the alkyltin chloride can react with the base to yield the alkyltin oxide, which may or may not be isolated, for subsequent condensation with the selected carboxyhc acid or mercaptan. 

Cost bilizers. In most cases the alkyl tin stabilizets ate particularly efficient heat stabilizers for PVC without the addition of costabilizers. Many of the traditional coadditives, such as antioxidants, epoxy compounds, and phosphites, used with the mixed metal stabilizer systems, afford only minimal benefits when used with the alkyl tin mercaptides. Mercaptans are quite effective costabilizets for some of the alkyl tin mercaptides, particularly those based on mercaptoethyl ester technology (23). Combinations of mercaptan and alkyl tin mercaptide ate currendy the most efficient stabilizers for PVC extmsion processes. The level of tin metal in the stabilizer composition can be reduced by up to 50% while maintaining equivalent performance. Figure 2 shows the two-roU mill performance of some methyl tin stabilizers in a PVC pipe formulation as a function of the tin content and the mercaptide groups at 200°C. 

The various lubricants formulated into PVC to improve the processing can also enhance the performance of the stabilizet. In pigmented apphcations, calcium soaps, eg, calcium stearate, ate commonly used as internal lubricants to promote PVC fusion and reduce melt viscosity. This additive is also a powerfiil costabilizer for the alkyl tin mercaptide stabilizers at use levels of 0.2 to 0.7 phr. Calcium stearate can significantly improve the eady color and increase the long-term stabiUty at low levels however, as the concentration increases, significant yellowing begins to occur. 

Commercial Stabilizers. The performance of the antimony stabilizers is significantly enhanced by adding polyhydroxybenzene compounds, eg, catechol, to the PVC (36). In commercial practice, about 5—10% catechol is formulated with the antimony mercaptide stabilizer products. The antimony mercaptides are normally prepared by heating antimony oxide with the appropriate mercaptan, normally isooctyl thioglycolate, under conditions to remove water. 

Whereas other metal salts, especially lead stearates and srdfates, or mixtures of Groups 2 and 12 carboxylates (Ba—Cd, Ba—Zn, Ca—Zn) ate also used to stabilize PVC, the tin mercaptides are some of the most efficient materials. This increased efficiency is largely owing to the mercaptans. The principal mechanism of stabilization of PVC, in which all types of stabilizers participate, is the adsorption of HCl, which is released by the PVC during degradation. This is important because the acid is a catalyst for the degradation, thus, without neutralization the process is autocatalytic. 

Unlike other stabilizers, tin mercaptide, or the mercaptan that is formed after the HCl reacts with the mercaptide, can react with the allyhc chlorine to produce a sulfide (47), thus eliminating the labile chlorine groups and stopping the unzipping. 

Additionally, organotin mercaptides can act as antioxidants, as they can sequester free-radical degradation mechanisms (48). The one drawback of mercaptide-based tin stabilizers is the discoloration of the sulfur after exposure to uv-radiation. Special precautions or formulations need to be developed for outdoor apphcations. 

Starnes and Plitz [51], in their studies of PVC stabilization with di( -butyl)tin bis ( -dodecyl mercaptide) or with mixtures of the mercaptide and di( -butyl)tin dichloride, found that the rate of dehydrochlorination was inversely related to the amount of sulphur content of approximately 0.9%. The following mechanism of allyl chloride substitution was proposed [Eq. (12)]. 

Certain dioctyltin compounds are used for clear PVC materials. Dialkyltin carboxylate and dialkyltin mercaptide heat stabilizers are used in the PVC industry in many application34. 

Fig. 2. Yellowness index vs two-roll mill heat stability, where the mercaptide ligands, —SCF COOR (A), —SCH2 CH2 COOR/ ( ), and —SCH2CH2COOR/ + HSCH2CH2COOR ( ), are 17, 9, and 6% Sn, respectively R = C8H17 R/ = C18H33.

The unique feature of the alkyllithium compounds that makes them useful as diene initiators is their character as exceedingly powerful bases yet they are soluble in organic solvents and quite thermally stable. Alkyllithium compounds are sufficiently basic to add to hydrocarbon monomers. However, lithium salts of stabilized anions, such as acetylide and fluorenyl anions, are too weakly basic to add to such double bonds. Similarly, alkoxides and mercaptides fail to react with hydrocarbon monomers, but lithium alkyl amides react analogously to alkyllithium compounds. 

Investigation of the kinetics of the reaction of 4-chloro-2-pentene, an allylic chloride model for the unstable moiety of polyfvinyl chloride), with several thermal stabilizers for the polymer has led to a better understanding of the stabilization mechanism. One general feature of the mechanism is complexing of the labile chlorine atom by the metal atom of the stabilizer. A second general feature is substitution of the complexed chlorine atom by a ligand (either carboxylate or mercaptide) bound to the metal. Stabilization requires that the new allylic substituent (ester or sulfide) be more thermally stable than the allylic chlorine. The isolation of products from stabilizer-model compound reactions supports the substitution hypothesis of poly(vinyl chloride) stabilization. 

The residue from mercaptide stabilizers was dissolved with chlorobenzene, and it was allowed to react with 0.4 ml. of 40% peracetic acid for 10-15 minutes. The reaction product was added with acetone rinsing to a solution of 0.50 gram of sodium sulfite in 100 ml. of water. After adding 5 ml. of concentrated nitric acid the chloride ion was titrated potentiometrically with 0.1N silver nitrate. 

The two different functionalities (mercaptide and carboxylate) of dibutyltin / -mercaptopropionate react at different rates with the allylic chloride) stabilization of dibutyltin salts of maleic acid or monoesters... 

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