GRAFTING OF PEROXIDE-INITIATED MALEIC ANHYDRIDE ON SPHERICAL PE/PP IN-REACTOR BLEND GRANULES.

Spherical polyethylene/polypropylene (PE/PP) in-reactor blend granules with various ethylene/propylene molar ratios and high porosity were synthesized using a high yield TiCl4/MgCI2 supported catalyst. A solution of benzoyl peroxide (BPO)/maleic anhydride (MAH)/xylene (interfacial reagent) or BPO/MAH/St (comonomer) was absorbed onto the PE/PP m- reactor blend granules, and solid phase graft polymerization of MAH on PE/PP was conducted. The amount of grafted MAH on PE/PP was measured through chemical titration The results showed that solid phase graft polymerization of MAH m PE/PP in-reactor blend granules produced graft copolymer with high amount of grafted MAH, and the amount of grafted MAH was raised slightly when St was introduced as comonomer. The graft in-reactor blend was fractionated into five fractions through temperature-gradient extraction fractionation (TGEF), and the fractions were analyzed by FTIR. The results revealed that MAH is mainly grafted on the PE segments, whereas MAH was predominantly grafted on the PP segments when St was present in the graft polymerization system. In addition, the final product is still in the form of regular spherical granules, which is beneficial for industrial processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]