Polyketones and polysulfones for conservation in the ethylene polymer industry. Progress report No. 6, July-September 1979

Technical Report · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1980

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5033925· OSTI ID:5033925

Steinberg, M.; Johnson, R.; Elling, D.; Cordes, W.; Goodman, D.

The characterization study on ethylene-CO (Et-CO) copolymers was concluded. The copolymers were prepared at various levels of CO composition, and with several methods loss of catalysis, including free-radical, metallic, and /sup 60/Co irradiation. Et-CO copolymers exhibit crystallinity related to the alternating polyketone structure which increasees logarithmically with CO content over the range 28% to 49% CO. The melting point increases in essentially the same manner as crystallinity. The structure of the copolymers is independent of the type of catalysis used. Highly crystalline copolymers showed discoloration and loss of crystallinity at 140/sup 0/C, whether in air or N/sub 2/. Discoloration is severe at 210/sup 0/C, and after heating at 280/sup 0/C for 1 h, essentially all crystallinity was lost. Press molding of highly crystalline copolymer at 260/sup 0/C for 5 minutes showed 38.8% loss of crystallinity and appearance of H/sub 2/O and olefinic unsaturation. Reaction kinetic studies on the low-pressure (< 5 atm) gas-phase copolymerization of ethylene - SO/sub 2/ (Et-SO/sub 2/) mixtures at a dose rate of 0.54 Mrad/h and at 10 to 13/sup 0/C were continued. Recharging a reaction system repeatedly with a mixture containing 19.2 mole % S/sub 2/ initially resulted in a general increase in G-value from 4.60 x 10/sup 4/ to 7.10 x 10/sup 4/ molecules/100eV and a factor of 4.6 decrease in reaction time for the attainment of peak rate and G-value. Low-pressure (< 5 atm) gas-phase /sup 60/Co gamma copolymerization at a dose rate of 0.56 Mrad/h and at 10 to 13/sup 0/C of a 1-butene-SO/sub 2/ mixture of approximately equimolar composition resulted in peak and overall G-values of 340 and 156, respectively, and product of nearly equimolar composition. For safety reasons the experimental radiation facility for conducting the copolymer studies was relocated to another building and a 5300 Ci /sup 60/Co gamma radiation source was transferred to the new facility.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH00016
• OSTI ID: 5033925
• Report Number(s): BNL-51155
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
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38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY
400600 -- Radiation Chemistry
ALKENES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COBALT 60
COBALT ISOTOPES
ENERGY CONSERVATION
ETHYLENE
HYDROCARBONS
INDUSTRY
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC POLYMERS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLASTICS INDUSTRY
POLYETHYLENES
POLYMERIZATION
POLYMERS
POLYOLEFINS
PRODUCTION
PROPYLENE
RADIOISOTOPES
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR DIOXIDE
SULFUR OXIDES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES