Polymers unsaturated

Because no molecule is spHt out, the molecular weight of the repeating unit is identical to that of the monomer. Vinyl monomers, H2C=CHR (Table 2) undergo addition polymerization to form many important and familiar polymers. Diene (two double bonds) monomers also undergo addition polymerization. Normally, one double bond remains, leaving an unsaturated polymer, with one double bond per repeating unit. These double bonds provide sites for subsequent reaction, eg, vulcanization. 

Fig. 3. Polymerization initiation and propagation by radiation-generated free radicals. A is the initiating radical produced by irradiating the Hquid coating. (1) represents the Hquid monomer—unsaturated polymer reactive coating system. R is functional. (2) is the growing polymer chain (free radical). The cured...

Advantages of the electron beam processor are its abiUty to penetrate thick and highly pigmented coatings. It is used to cross-link reactive unsaturated polymers, nonreactive thermoplastic polymers, iasulation, and wire-cable covetings (4,9,16) (see Insulation, electric-wire and cable COVERDIGS). 

Sulfurized olefins (S2CI2 plus isobutene) are further reacted with S and Na2S to give products useful as extreme pressure lubricant additives (144,145). The reaction of unsaturated natural oils with sulfur monochloride gives resinous products known as Factice, which are useful as art-gum erasers and mbber additives (146,147). The addition reaction of sulfur monochloride with unsaturated polymers, eg, natural mbber, produces cross-links and thus serves as a means for vulcanizing mbber at moderate temperatures. The photochemical cross-linking of polyethylene has also been reported (148). 

A chain transfer reaction between the monomer and the growing polymer produces an unsaturated polymer. This occurs when the concentration of the monomer is high compared to the catalyst. Using ethylene as the monomer, the termination reaction has this representation ... 

Unsaturated polyester finishes of this type do not need to be stoved to effect crosslinking, but will cure at room temperature once a suitable peroxide initiator cobalt salt activator are added. The system then has a finite pot life and needs to be applied soon after mixing. Such a system is an example of a two-pack system. That is the finish is supplied in two packages to be mixed shortly before use, with obvious limitations. However, polymerisation can also be induced by ultra violet radiation or electron beam exposure when polymerisation occurs almost instantaneously. These techniques are used widely in packaging, particularly cans, for which many other unsaturated polymers, such as unsaturated acrylic resins have been devised. 

As is the case for cationic polymerisation, anionic polymerisation can terminate by only one mechanism, that is by proton transfer to give a terminally unsaturated polymer. However, proton transfer to initiator is rare - in the example just quoted, it would involve the formation of the unstable species NaH containing hydride ions. Instead proton transfer has to occur to some kind of impurity which is capable for forming a more stable product. This leads to the interesting situation that where that monomer has been rigorously purified, termination cannot occur. Instead reaction continues until all of the monomer has been consumed but leaves the anionic centre intact. Addition of extra monomer causes further polymerisation to take place. The potentially reactive materials that result from anionic initiation are known as living polymers. 

Certain commercially important crosslinking reactions are carried out with unsaturated polymers. For example, as will be described later in this chapter, polyesters can be made using bifunctional acids which contain a double bond. The resulting polymers have such double bonds at regular intervals along the backbone. These sites of unsaturation are then crosslinked by reaction with styrene monomer in a free-radical chain (addition) process to give a material consisting of polymer backbones and poly(styrene) copolymer crosslinks. 

Another commercially important crosslinking process that involves unsaturated polymer precursors is the so-called drying of alkyd resins in paints. This process is not drying at all, at least not in the sense of mere loss of solvent to leave behind a solid residue. Instead, the main process is the conversion of high relative molar mass molecules to a crosslinked structure via... 

As can be seen from Eqs. 5 and 15, this approach allows the polarizability to be decomposed in terms of its most contributing excited states. In unsaturated polymers, the Ti-symmetry bands and particularly their highest-energy states present the largest contribution to Aa, (oo). This fact has been highlighted several times [28,37-38]. 

Peroxides cross-linking of the more highly unsaturated polymers is more efficient due to higher concentration of allylic hydrogen. These are readily abstracted and efficiently converted to cross-link. 

FIGURE 29.3 General scheme of the reaction of a polysulfidic silane with an unsaturated polymer. 

The chemical modification of unsaturated polymers via homogeneous catalytic means offers a potentially useful method for introduction of desirable functional groups on the polymer chains. 

The hydrogenation of unsaturated polymers and copolymers in the presence of a catalyst offers a potentially useful method for improving and optimizing the mechanical and chemical resistance properties of diene type polymers and copolymers. Several studies have been published describing results of physical and chemical testing of saturated diene polymers such as polybutadiene and nitrile-butadiene rubber (1-5). These reports indicate that one of the ways to overcome the weaknesses of diene polymers, especially nitrile-butadiene rubber vulcanizate, is by the hydrogenation of carbon-carbon double bonds without the transformation of other functional unsaturation such as nitrile or styrene. 

Another approach was developed by Scott in the 1970 s (7.8) which utilises the same mechanochemistry used previously by Watson to initiate the Kharacsh-type addition of substituted alkyl mercaptans and disulphides to olefinic double bonds in unsaturated polymers. More recently, this approach was used to react a variety of additives (both antioxidants and modifiers) other than sulphur-containing compounds with saturated hydrocarbon polymers in the melt. In this method, mechanochemically formed alkyl radicals during the processing operation are utilised to produce polymer-bound functions which can either improve the additive performance and/or modify polymer properties (Al-Malaika, S., Quinn, N., and Scott, 6 Al-Malaika, S., Ibrahim, A., and Scott, 6., Aston University, Birmingham, unpublished work). This has provided a potential solution to the problem of loss of antioxidants by volatilisation or extraction since such antioxidants can only be removed by breaking chemical bonds. It can also provide substantial improvement to polymer properties, for example, in composites, under aggresive environments. 

Figure 38 (a) The ADMET polymerization (using Mo and Ru catalysts) of symmetrical a.oj-dienes that yield main-chain boronate polymers (59). (b) The ROMP of several norbomene monomers containing methyl- and phenyl-substituted boronates into unsaturated polymers (60). (Adapted from ref. 84.)... 

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