Synthesis, Characterization, Properties And Reactivity Of Polyethylene Grafted 2-Hydroxy Ethyl Acrylate Copolymer By In-Situ Chlorinating Graft Copolymerization

A new kind of graft copolymerization method-in-situ chlorinating graft copolymerization, was presented in this paper. In the process both chlorination and graft copolymerization of backbone polymers were completed simultaneously by one reaction process. The method with the modification of polymer offered an interesting route to achieve new material with promising property combinations.A grafting copolymer (CPE-g-HEA), composed of Poly (2-hydroxy ethyl acrylate) (PHEA) as branched chains and chlorinated polyethylene (CPE) as backbone, was synthesized by in-situ chlorinating graft copolymerization. The process of in-situ chlorinating graft copolymerization came from continuously introducing chlorine gas into the reaction mixtures of only composed of high-density polyethylene powder and a little amount of 2-hydroxy ethyl acrylate(HEA). When heated, a chlorine molecule decomposed into two chlorine radicals, which could lead to chlorination of HDPE, grafting of HEA to PE and homopolymerization of HEA as well.The structure of CPE-g-HEA was characterized by ~1H-NMR, FT-IR, GPC, and also the properties were researched by DSC, DMA, WAXD and TG The morphologies of CPE and CPE-g-HEA were investigated by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The results of FT-IR, ~1H-NMR and GPC indicated the existence of grafting copolymer of CPE-g-HEA, and obtained the structure of the copolymer. A possible mechanism of the reaction of PE reaction with HEA by in-situ chlorinating graft method was proposed. The effects of reaction temperature and chlorine content of CPE-g-HEA and adding amount of HEA on mechanical properties were studied systematically. The mechanical properties of...