Increasing Polypropylene High Temperature Stability by Blending Polypropylene-Bonded Hindered Phenol Antioxidant

• DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.7b02720
• Publication Date: 2018-02-22T20:29:59Z
• Authors: Gang Zhang; Changwoo Nam; Linnea Petersson; Joakim Jämbeck; Henrik Hillborg; T. C. Mike Chung
• Keywords: Polypropylene; Comonomer; Thermal Stability

Currently, hindered phenol (HP) antioxidants mixed in PP products provide thermal-oxidative protection during melt processing (homogeneous mixing). However, there are concerns about their effectiveness applications. This paper presents computer simulation and experimental results to demonstrate a facile phase separation of HP molecules the matrix investigates new approach that can dramatically improve stability under elevated temperatures. technology is centered on PP–HP copolymer containing few comonomer units with moieties, homogeneously distributed along polymer chain. Because cocrystallization between copolymer, all antioxidant groups (amorphous domains). The resulting PP/PP–HP blends nearly proportional content. While commercial (containing regular stabilizers) degrade within minutes at 210 °C air, blend, same concentration groups, demonstrates no detectable weight loss after 1000 h. In an ASTM endurance test targeted application temperature (140 air), shows 1% 10 days. On other hand, (5/1) blend content lasts for 2 years constant heating condition. Overall, experiment present potential expanding applications into far higher range (>140 °C) environments.