Preparation of polyethylene-graft-polymethacrylates and polyethylene-graft-poly(acrylic aced) via reactive monomer method

Ethylene and p-allyltoluene were copolymerized in the presence of metallocene catalyst rac-ethylenebis(indenyl) zirconium dichloride-MAO. The polyethylene ( PE) copolymer prepared was brominated using radical initiator and N-bromosuccininiide. H-1-NMR showed that each benzyl site was substituted with one bromine atom. Methyl mathacrylate and t-butyl acrylate were polymerized via ATRP process with brominated PE copolymer as macromolecular initiator and CuCl/N, N, N', N', N"-pentamethyldiethylenetriarnine as catalyst and the corresponding graft copolymer was synthesized. Polyethylene-graft-poly( t-butyl acrylate) was subsequently converted by hydrolysis with hydrochloric acid to polyethylene-graft-poly(crylic acid), which was father converted to polyethylene-graft-poly( sodium acrylate) by reacting with sodium hydroxide. Mulao test indicated that the polarity of polyethylene graft copolymers relative to that of polyethylene was improved greatly.